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ELMSFORD, N.Y. – The Elmsford Board of Trustees voted Tuesday night to override the state imposed 2 percent property tax levy cap.
Although the village has yet to put together a proposed 2013 budget and won't begin the budget process until April, officials stressed authorizing a local law to exceed the limit was not intended to enable the village to go on a spending spree.
"If we do it today it's not about the budget. It's a safety mechanism," Mayor Robert Williams said prior to the 3-0 vote. "In Elmsford we never raise taxes more than we have to. It's better to be safe than sorry."
The law passed by the state Legislature last year limits the annual growth of property taxes levied by local governments and school districts to 2 percent or the rate of inflation, whichever is less. However, tax caps for counties, cities, towns, villages and special districts can be overridden by a vote of at least 60 percent of the local governing bodies.
Elmsford Administrator/Clerk Michael Mills said as of Jan. 9, more than 77 municipalities or special districts in New York miscalculated budget calculations and were over the cap.
"Because this is new, it's a complicated calculation. If you're close, you could be wrong," Mills told Williams and Trustees William Zimkin and Syndey Henry. "If you override the cap, even if a mistake is made, you are covered."
Zimkin compared overriding the cap to an insurance policy.
"It doesn't cost us anything," he said. "This actually protects our residents more than anything else and we would be remiss not to do it."
Trustees Edward Rush and Michael Eannazzo were absent from Tuesday evening’s meeting.
Comments (11)
housemusic3: First off it sounds like you don't live in the village. If you are using Don lane as a reference which is in the town of greenburgh i'm sure your address is something something something White Plains, NY. No? The other give away, people who live in the village call it a village not a TOWN.
Also do you understand the cap is not on the Tax Rate it's on the Tax Levy? Do you understand that even the Towns and Village's who pass the TAX LEVY CAP that people's tax bill will still be raised because of the levy? I think you should spend some time researching the actual bill that was passed instead of putting down a VILLAGE that sounds like you don't even live in. Maybe you pay Elmsford School Taxes which is separate from Village Government.. But again doesn't sound like your paying taxes in the village. I could be wrong.. What’s your City and Zip?
housemusic3.....are you sure you live in the Village of Elmsford?
A broad comment with regard to the Village of Elmsford and the Elmsford School district, there is actually quite an interesting phenomena occurring in the area. The Elmsford School District is raising a lot of money to educate a considerably small district population, $30 million to educate approx 950 students (approx $31,500 per student). A large portion of that money raised by property taxes although some money, maybe 10% is through State aid, grants, etc. The Village budget is much smaller (approx $7 million) and accounts for all Village services which include police, fire, sanitation, road maintenance, parks & rec, court, etc. serving all 5,000 or so residents and many businesses of the Village.
In Elmsford the property values are low and by some analyzes are continuing to fall. However the demand on services is increasing therefore than can be no corresponding decreases in property taxes. The only thing that can mitigate property taxes is higher valued properties; the theory being those properties will pay a higher amount of tax while requiring less municipal services. A large single family house on a larger lot, would require less resources than higher density homes (2, 3 family) on smaller lots. If one can agree that "good" schools equal higher property values the question remains; given the existing resources why can’t the schools perform on the level expected by those moving to and within Westchester and encourage this kind of growth?
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What the article should have specifially cited is that if a municipality adopts a budget that is within the 2% property tax cap and some years later (because the State of New York will review these budgets) a review reveals a miscalculation pushing the x-year adopted budget over the 2%limit the municipality is on the hook for those funds compounded to the date the mistake is identified (i.e. x+4years). As you may know a 2% cap does not mean the tax levy may not go up by more than 2%, certain exemptions are allowed for such as a growth factor and some increases in health insurace and pension. Therefore a budget under the 2% cap may in actually increase by 4%.
Housemusic3
…. And why did you move to Elmsford? If you are so displeased with the school district why did you not responsibly research it like most parents do before you moved to Elmsford? There are 44 other school districts you could have moved into. Most importantly for a person who has lived in so many exotic venues you don’t know beans how the communities in Westchester County operate otherwise you would not be ranting about the Elmsford school district in response to an article about Elmsford village, two jurisdictions whose budgets have nothing to do with each other. Citing Australia, France, and Africa as shining examples of governmental efficiency? Pullease! My aunt can barely afford to live in Sydney any longer because it has gotten so expensive over there. France is tottering on the brink of economic chaos or have you not read about the strikes and riots taking place in Paris and elsewhere over financial cutbacks? My cousin has lived in Congo, Angola, and elsewhere in Africa. No need to elaborate on the ineptness of any of those governments. As for New Jersey – you have just got to be kidding!
As for our governor, don’t you understand he has two goals in mind. The first one is his long range goal of running for president. He doesn’t truly give a darn about local government. He knows quite well the local governments can’t meet the two percent tax levy cap mostly because his own state government keeps imposing unfunded mandates on them. Did you know that the Medicare tab in Westchester represents 50% of the county tax bill burden where in most other states it is a cost of the state government paid through the state income tax? Of course not, the governor would never publicize this and make his administration look bad. Which leads me to the governor’s second goal. He knows that the local governments can’t possibly operate under the cap so this is his backdoor method of having them consolidate with each other to achieve economies of scale. Sadly for him, that is just not going to happen. Do you really want to be receiving your police services from a barracks located ten miles away? Or have a fire responded to by a fire truck located three towns over? There is a long history of the communities in this county of a concept known as Home Rule. People in these communities appreciate having their own small local governments and take pride in being charge of their destinies. And they like dealing with local governments who know the lay of the land when they are in need. Admittedly, it’s not a perfect system, and it gets more expensive each day as the economy languishes, but somehow it works. Moreover, there must be some reason why people continue to move into this county? After all, you did. And if my response is not to your taste, well, perhaps, London’s calling as your next relocation!
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housemusic3: Can you please advised what the Elmsford Budget is? And where you get your numbers of 5-10 the national average? I would be interested to see where the national average number you quote comes from. Furthermore do you know that Elmsford has the lowest Tax Rate among the 6 villages.?
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