Town of Waterloo holds the line on taxes

While expenses have increased by 9 percent and revenues only increased by 6 percent, Waterloo Town Supervisor Jim Mooney and the Waterloo Town Board has announced that they will be holding the line on taxes again this year.“This budget meets the needs of the people of Waterloo without digging deeper into their pockets,” said Waterloo Town Supervisor Jim Mooney. “I continue to believe that you can’t help people by adding to their burdens. So we fought to hold the line on taxes.”“I commend the Town Board for their work on promoting more efficient government that keeps the tax bill from growing. Like a family that gathers around the kitchen table to make tough budget decisions they did everything possible to keep the residents’ tax bill from growing while maintaining services,” Mooney said.The rates are as follows:* The general town-wide fund taxes are down 26 cents per 1000 of assessed value.* The general part-town fund will have no tax again this year.* The highway part-town fund will decrease 13 cents per 1000 of assessed value.* The only increase in the four major operation funds will be in the highway-town wide fund. This increase is mainly due to the substantial increase in the prices of fuel, asphalt and salt which is all a part of road maintenance.Supervisor Mooney also stated that the Town will be undertaking a number of improvements using the Seneca Meadows Community Benefits fund and capital reserve fund. The town has plans to purchase a new plow truck and a one ton dump truck for the Highway Department. They will also be constructing a new salt barn and paving the Town’s parking lot. Plans have also been developed to construct a new water and sewer building in the Border City area to replace the present facility which has been outgrown due to increased economic development initiatives in the Town.The Town has also appropriated $100,000 to the Highway improvement roads capital fund, a $35,000 increase from the previous year.A water line on Powderly Road will be started using the $400,000 grant from the Community Development Block Grant awarded to the Town of Waterloo.The Town Board has agreed to contribute an extra $15,000 over three years, to the library building project in addition to the yearly contract of $19,000. Funds have also been increased for the Waterloo and Border City Fire Protection Districts.