Town of Niagara working on budget for 2027

By Senior Contributing Writer Benjamin Joe

The Town of Niagara’s tentative budget for 2027 was released Monday afternoon at Town Hall. Supervisor Sylvia Virtuoso was joined by three of four Town of Niagara councilmen (Michael Lee, Johnny Parks and Robert Herman) for the release of the budget she drafted. Deputy Supervisor Deputy Supervisor Marc Carpenter was absent.

Virtuoso described the budget as a “minimal.” It includes payment to staff, including a 4% raise for all employees, and contractual obligations for retirement. New personnel, vehicles and other requests by department heads were not included in this budget. Paving will not be increased. Salt will be distributed from the plows more efficiently.

The tax rate does include an increase of 17 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, to a total of $3.34. It will stay under the 2% tax cap.

“Last year, we bought two plows,” Virtuoso said after announcing the tax levy increase of $77,000. “We have to pay bond payments, which is $70,000. That left us with $7,000 to spread among everything else for two years. So, obviously we don’t have enough.

“The cost of salt going up $20 a ton. The cost of gas. Diesel. The price of gas for plows and trucks that we all drive, and the officers who have to try and patrol the town. For that alone, we can’t cover under the 2% tax cap, but we will try our best.

“We have not taken into consideration anything the department heads have asked for. All we’ve covered are wages and insurances and that’s about it. We’ve eliminated all requests for vehicles, any type of equipment. No personnel.”

Not included in the budget is an increase of sewer rates, as the news from the Niagara Falls Water Board, which signaled a large, incoming bill from the entity to the Town of Niagara, had arrived after that tentative budget was drafted.

The Town of Niagara is not alone, Virtuoso said after the meeting was adjourned. She explained towns such as Orchard Park (8%), Amherst (6%) and Tonawanda (3%) are all raising their taxes.

“The cost of doing business is astronomical,” Virtuoso said.

The solution for the Town of Niagara is more development, she said, noting there are five new housing developments under consideration.

Budget meetings have been tentatively scheduled for 4 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, Oct 13 and 15. A public hearing for the final budget put together by the Town Board and Virtuoso will be Nov. 20. A vote will also be taken to exceed the 2% tax cap, if necessary, on that date.