County tax rate will go down
By Donna Comella

Although the Wayne County budget shows an increase in spending of $17 million, 2007 tax rates will go down.

Budget Officer and Interim County Administrator Keith Kubasik says that the average tax rate per $1000 of assesed valuation will go from $9.54 to $9.30. (Each town rate will vary as per their respective equalization rate.) According to Kubasik, three of the county's 15 towns did a revaluation of property values, increasing values and helping to lower the rates.

The county also plans to use $914,000 of the surplus fund balance to lower rates.

Kubasik says that increased spending comes from several areas - an increase of $400,000 for Community College fees (each time a student enrolls at an area community college, the county is charged); law enforcement up 4 percent; the Veterans' Office up almost 8 percent; over $36 million in county salaries plus an additional $15.5 million in employee fringe benefits.

Tuesday, the Board set their own salaries for 2007 at $14,228 for each supervisor and $19,171 for Chairman of the Board Jim Hoffman (Williamson). (The supervisors also receive salary from their own towns.)

The Public Hearing for the tentative 2007 spending plan of $154 million is set for Tuesday, December 5 at 7 p.m. in the second floor courtroom of the old County Courthouse on Church Street in Lyons.

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