By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- The Village Board of Trustees is in the clear to go over the 2-percent tax cap when they craft their 2014-2015 budget in the coming months.

Village officials don’t yet know if they will actually need to use the new local law.

“It’s a loop hole, or safety net if you will, if we have to go over the two percent,” Mayor James Hidy said.

The departments had a Monday deadline to submit their estimates for the upcoming year. The state requires municipalities to have a local law in place if they raise property taxes by more than 2 percent.

One village resident spoke during the public hearing prior to the vote and said he thinks the tax cap law is futile.

“It sounds more to me more like a pony show because every municipality in their right mind would override it,” William LaPoint said. “It’s designed to sound good – well I’m not impressed.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Hidy said. “Every municipality can’t stay in the two percent for obvious reasons.”