Mamaroneck Village Proposed Budget Falls Under Tax Cap

For the second year in a row, the Village of Mamaroneck passed a law allowing them to go over the two percent tax cap if needed.  And, for the second year in a row, village officials have passed a budget that has not exceeded the allowable cap.

"It's the second tentative budget that complies with the two percent tax cap," said Village Manager Richard Slingerland, about the 2013-14, $32.7 million proposed budget.

The budget—an increase of approximately $561K from last year's $32.1 million budget—proposes a 2.29 increase in the tax levy and a 2.69 increase in the tax rate. For an average homeowner, that translates to an increase of approximately $125 per year. Last year's increase in the levy was 2.94 percent.

But the village has not been immune to rising costs for pensions and health care, a constant drag on municipal budgets in Westchester. There has been a meteoric jump in pension costs from $8,261 annually to $2.9 million in the past 13 years, said Slingerland; these costs comprise 20 percent of the total budget.

Additionally, the village has had to contend with the loss of revenue from sales and mortgage taxes, building permits and interest earnings as well as a loss of property values.

The village will hold a series of budget workshops on the following dates (all are held at 123 Mamaroneck Ave. unless otherwise noted.): April 2 at 6 p.m. (Police Department), 7 p.m. (Fire Department); April 9 (169 Mt. Pleasant Ave.), 6 p.m. (Public Works), 7 p.m. (Court); April 11, 6 p.m. (Harbor Master), 6:45 p.m. (Parks), 7:30 p.m. (Recreation); April 16, 6 p.m. (Clerk-Treasurer, Revenue, Capital).  The budget will be adopted on April 22 at the regularly schedule Board of Trustees meeting. 

The tentative budget can be viewed on the village's website here.