Marlborough budget stays below state tax cap

By Mark Reynolds
Posted 11/4/20

Last week the Marlborough Town Board unanimously passed their 2021 town budget. Before the vote Supervisor Al Lanzetta thanked Councilman Scott Corcoran and Budget Officer Christina Wilklow for their …

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Marlborough budget stays below state tax cap

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Last week the Marlborough Town Board unanimously passed their 2021 town budget. Before the vote Supervisor Al Lanzetta thanked Councilman Scott Corcoran and Budget Officer Christina Wilklow for their help in compiling the budget for next year.

“It was a trying year and our taxes are below the tax cap,” he said.

Wilklow said the total cost to run the town, including the fire and highway departments, lighting, sewer, water and drainage districts in 2021 is $10,313,384. She said the expected revenues coming into the town is $2,469,181 and they will also tap the unexpended fund balance by $115,000. This leaves the amount to be raised by the tax levy at $7,729,203.

Wilklow noted that the town budget for 2021 is a little more than a percentage point below their 2.02% tax cap. She added that a resident with a house assessed at $250,000 will pay $10 more than what they paid in 2020.

Wilklow noted that within the overall $10.3 million, the union contracts and the office staff received a 2% raise, “which is what it has been in the past.” She said there were no layoffs or serious cuts made in the 2021 budget.

“Actually we did increase our revenues because we are going to receive more in mortgage tax,” she said.

Wilklow said the town had estimated that they were going to receive $120,000 in mortgage tax revenues in 2020 but in the first 6 months of this year alone the town received $97,000. If that trend keeps up, the town may double that, and ultimately receive about $194,000.

Wilklow said the town has received sales taxes amounting to $79,000 for the first 6 months of this year but she expects this will not double to $158,000, but instead will drop off a bit in the second half of this year.