Dobbs Village Budget Public Workshop Monday

Decreases in assessments, increases in pension, hydrant rental and insurance costs will cause taxes to rise 2.98 percent under the proposed 2013-14 Dobbs Ferry Municipal operating budget.

“This increase is due to the same key factors we faced the last few years,” said Village Administrator and Budget Officer Marcus Serrano. “The main fiscal challenges facing the Village are not dissimilar to those that are impacting all municipalities throughout the region.”

A work session on the budget will be held on Monday, April 1 at 6:30 p.m. at village hall, 112 Main St. The public hearing will be held on Tuesday, April 9 at 7:30 p.m. in the same location.

Residents will pay $105.76 more per year, or $8.81 per month, for an average home assessed at $16,000 under the tentative spending plan. The tax rate is set at $228.12 per thousands dollars of assessed value.

Under the mandated New York State’s 2 percent tax cap levy formula, the proposal is under the tax cap at 1.05 percent.

Driving up the tax rate again this year is a drop in taxable property assessments of $117,136. While small claims for property tax grievances have decrease, certioraris have remained a steady, Serrano said.

Other costs driving up taxes include: increases to pension contributions (employee contribution are $40,481, while police and fire are $68,366); health ($83,303) and workers compensation insurance ($67,689); and hydrant rental fees $41,000.

There is also a decrease in recreation fees of $47,074 and parking meter collections of $30,000.

The Village will also hire part time staff for the recreation department ($15,000) and senior program ($14,000) and purchase maintenance materials for its parks (12,000).

To offset some of the increases, the tentative budget assumes that the Village of Hastings-on-Hudson will agree to split the cost of employing its parks and recreation superintendent. Click here for more on that proposal. There is $50,000 increase in recreation fees that incorporates the joint employing of Matt Arone into the tentative spending plan.

The village will also save by not filling staff vacancies and reducing spending in several areas. The budget lists a $94,096 decrease in the police department, a $17,878 decrease in fire department equipment and a $44,524 in savings to debt service bond interest. 

“If we do not have additional revenues or development to offset required expenditures we will be faced with substantial tax rate increase for the foreseeable future,” said Serrano.

Click on the PDF to view the full statement and budget document. 

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