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Ogdensburg taxpayers face 13.27 percent increase in tax rate; levy rises by more than $400,000

Posted 12/15/16

By JIMMY LAWTON OGDENSBURG -- Ogdensburg taxpayers are taking a hit as the rate jumps from $17.34 to $19.66 per thousand dollars of assessed value and the tax levy increases by more than $400,000. …

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Ogdensburg taxpayers face 13.27 percent increase in tax rate; levy rises by more than $400,000

Posted

By JIMMY LAWTON

OGDENSBURG -- Ogdensburg taxpayers are taking a hit as the rate jumps from $17.34 to $19.66 per thousand dollars of assessed value and the tax levy increases by more than $400,000.

The 2017 tax levy will be $5,329,445.

Ogdensburg councilors held a special meeting Wednesday in a last ditch effort to reduce the 13.27 percent tax rate increase. Over the past few weeks city council met several times to mitigate the originally projected 20 percent hike.

The hike equates to $230 more in taxes for the owner of a home assessed at $100,000. That hike will hit extra hard this year for residents of Proctor Avenue who saw substantial assessment earlier this year.

Prior to council debate Comptroller Tim Johnson explained that the 2016 rate is the same as the 2004 rate. He said that while the increase is going to hurt this year, it roughly equates to a 1 percent increase per year since 2004.

Mayor Wayne Ashley offered each councilor a chance to present cuts, but none of the suggestions passed. The first to fail was a call to fill just three of the four vacancies at the Ogdensburg Police Department. That measure has support only from councilor’s Daniel Skamperle and Michael Morley.

Councilor David Price offered up nearly $100,000 in cuts to the budget, but was clear that he wasn’t a supporter of them. He noted that the members of the public had reached out to him asking him to propose cuts and he did so on their behalf. Price said his goal was to allow the public to see that there just isn’t room for more cuts in the budget.

Prices proposal led to explanations from three department heads. Public Works Director Scott Thornhill, Ogdensburg Police Chief Andrew Kennedy and Fire Chief Mike Farrell. Each man gave explanations of their overtime budgets.

In most cases the department heads explained that cutting the overtime budget would not be realistic. In some cases union contracts allow employees to buy back vacation time.

“I can tell you right now, there is no way I will be able to stay under budget if you make cuts,” Farrell said.

Other uncertainties like plowing snow also make reducing overtime budgets dangerous, especially in a year when the city does not have additional funding to modify the budget in case of emergencies.

After the three department heads spoke, the council was able to come up with a savings of only $3,500 in the department of public works. But the motion made by Morley to make those cuts was rescinded.

Price said he suggested the cuts as an exercise to explain that there is nowhere left to cut. He wanted the public to hear from the department heads.

“I think we are done,” he said.

Although the council was unenthusiastic about it, they agreed.

Councilor Brian Mitchell said he did not see anywhere else Ogdensburg could make realistic cuts.

Morley said the only way left to reduce the tax burden would be to cut jobs.

The budget eliminates summer help positions at the Ogdensburg Recreation Department and reduces one job from the Department of Public Works through attrition.

City Manager Sarah Purdy offered appreciation to the council for their hard works and also to the department heads who worked hard to trim their budgets. She noted that many changes will be needed next year to get Ogdensburg back on track.

The budget passed in a 5-2 vote with Morley and Skamperle opposed.