Alex Bay's tax levy down 6.7%

ALEXANDRIA BAY — The town of Alexandria is cutting back on spending and raiding its fund balance to hold the tax rate steady next year.

The town tax rate will remain at 35 cents per $1,000 of assessed value under the 2010 budget adopted Friday by the Town Council.

General fund spending is down 1.2 percent, to $1,440,072 next year from $1,458,923 this year. Supervisor Martha M. Millet said the Town Council tried its best to keep spending and the tax rate under control.

The tax levy also is down, by 6.7 percent from $233,950 this year to $218,347 in 2010. The town used $242,745 from its general fund balance to buy down the tax levy. Ms. Millet said the town has a little more than $1 million left in its general reserves.

The overall budget is up by 0.6 percent, from $2,928,469 to $2,948,188.

Ms. Millet will be paid $17,990 next year, up from $17,812 this year, and the four councilmen will be paid $2,902 each, up from $2,872.

The town clerk will receive $47,719 next year, up from $47,247, and the highway superintendent will get $57,161, up from $56,595.

The Highway Department's total spending will increase by 2.6 percent in 2010, from $1,469,546 this year to $1,508,116, mainly due to an increase in medical insurance for the department's workers. That expense went up by $25,048, or 15.5 percent, from $162,000 to $187,048.

The town expects to receive $12,831 less in sales tax revenue next year.

The estimated sales tax revenue is $1,544,846, down by 0.8 percent from $1,557,677.