AMHERST, NY - We're finally hearing from the Amherst Town Supervisor about a tax hike the town board approved one week ago. 2 On Your Side spent the days following trying to get answers about why the town needs that increase.
We asked Amherst Town Supervisor Brian Kulpa, "Why were you not available for anything on camera to talk about your budget last week?
"My schedule goes from hour to hour with a meeting somewhere and that was the case to the end of the week to be honest," he replied.
Kulpa's budget, approved by the town board raises taxes by about 7 percent. Homeowners will see a tax increase of about 1.7 percent. So someone with a $150,000 home will pay $18 more in property tax. On a $250,000 home -- they'll pay $31 more.
"Could you explain why this tax hike is needed?" we asked.
"There were a lot of expenses that have hit our budget this year," Kulpa said.
He says that includes rising health care costs and contractual salaries.
"According to your budget," we asked, "the assessor gets a raise, the town attorney got a raise, some of the back end attorneys they get raises...why are all these raises needed?"
Kulpa said, "When those people were hired they were hired and agreed to a scheduled salary increase."
"Aren't there any areas to cut?"
"If you look at our budget costs," Kulpa replied, "they are pretty slim, there's not a tremendous amount of growth there."
But, the town is adding several new positions, such as two school resource officers and sewer workers.
"Over time the municipality has grown and we need personnel in order to service it," Kulpa said.
Census data shows the town's population has grown by nearly 4,000 people since 2010.
"As you spread the town out, as you add roads as add infrastructure you need to be able to pay for all of that," he said.
Taxes have remained flat in recent years in Amherst.
But this new tax hike, comes a year after, a town-wide reassessment where homeowners saw their tax bill change based on the value of their homes.