KENMORE, N.Y. — Tuesday night in the Village of Kenmore, residents had plenty of questions about why their property taxes would be raised by 5.42%.
The village discussed its budget for this year which includes a property tax hike, increasing taxes for the average home valued at $250,000 by about $113 a year. That would make the average annual village property tax payment $2,195.
This news also comes just one year after Kenmore already saw a 5.2% tax hike last year.
“Is there an end in sight?” one resident asked. “Having been here two years, we’ve seen it happen two times.”
The increase also marks the second year in a row that the tax hike exceeded the state’s 2% limit, requiring a special vote for approval.
Kenmore’s mayor said the hike is necessary due to inflation raising the village’s spending needs. Without the hike, he said, the village simply would not be able to afford to provide the same services.
Residents were split with some understanding the need and others expressing frustrations.
Kenmore isn’t the only municipality experiencing this. Earlier this year, there was outrage in Amherst over an 11.4% tax hike as a part of the annual budget.
There will be a vote on the 2024-25 budget at some point in the next two weeks, and if passed, the new budget with the property tax hike would go into effect June 1.