Taxes set to go up

Elected officials in Potter and Cameron counties are poised to adopt 2007 budgets that call for significant real estate tax increases. Both boards of county commissioners describe the tax hikes as inevitable.

In Potter County, taxes will go up by 1.5 mill on each property’s assessed value, to a new figure of 12.3; a mill is one-tenth of one percent.

Commissioners Ken Wingo, Catherine Bowers and John Torok cited pay increases and rising utility expenses as reasons for the tax increase, necessary to finance a $6.1 million budget. Elected officials in Potter County are in line for a nine-percent raise in 2007, under terms of an ordinance passed by the previous board of commissioners in 2002. Unionized county employees are also receiving raises and the county must budget for courthouse security guards

Cameron County Commissioners Glen Fiebig, Pat Rodgers and Tony Moscato continue to chip away at a county budget that calls for an increase in real estate taxes next year. At last report, the spending plan included a tax hike of at least three mills.

The budget, which comes up for final adoption on Dec. 29, is available for public inspection at the courthouse. It calls for approximately $6.78 million in expenditures.

The commissioners cited rising costs for health insurance covering county employees and increases in utility expenses as two major reasons for the projected higher tax rate.

C o m m i s s i o n e r Moscato said the board has worked with department heads to produce a lean budget for 2007, cutting tentative allotments contained in an earlier draft for supplies, training and travel.