'I cannot afford my taxes to go up 11.4%' Amherst residents angry over raise in tax

AMHERST, N.Y. — Residents from the Town of Amherst showed up in droves at the Town Hall Tuesday night to express their concerns about a tax hike that went into effect this year.

During the public hearing session of the reorganization meeting, residents were heated and criticized the town board and supervisor Brian Kulpa for what they called a lack of transparency over the last few months.

The town’s budget, which was released in late September, included an 11.4% tax increase, raising the town tax for an average homeowner by about $300. 

Kulpa said those hikes came to fund increases for employee salaries and benefits as well as various projects in the town, including the conversion of 9,000 street lights to LED's, the transformation of the former Westwood Country Club into a new town park and plans to transform Boulevard Mall into residences and community spaces. 

New York state law prevents towns from establishing such a high increase unless the town board votes to override it. That’s what Amherst did back in November by a vote of 4-1. About a week later, the new budget was finalized.

Residents on Tuesday said they felt they were not properly notified of the significant increase, preventing them from speaking out against it in the fall before it became too late.

“While almost no one in Amherst had any input or knew anything about the 11.4% budget hike, virtually everyone in Amherst knew what date and time Santa would be riding by their house on a firetruck,” one resident said.

Kulpa spoke with 2 On Your Side ahead of the meeting and responded to those concerns, saying the town posted budget drafts online and held several public hearings before voting to override the state’s law. 

“We put everything out the same way we've put everything out for years,” Kulpa said. “I don't want to do tax increases. Nobody wants to do tax increases. The reality is expenses have gone up.”