The Town of Hurley budget for 2017 came out last week at the same time as an announcement was posted on the town’s website for a November 10 public hearing on the plan. The proposed $4,523,350 spending blueprint is offset by estimated revenues of $461,025 and $503,697 in unexpended balance funds to make for a total amount to be raised through taxes of $4,019,653. Of that total, $791,175 is for local fire districts, $392,948 for library and $9,350 for lighting district costs.
Although no one conversant with the budget was available to speak about it at Hurley town offices for the past two weeks, and supervisor Gary Bellows did not reply to frequent emails and calls (it was later determined that several at town hall have been ill with flu symptoms over recent weeks), it was determined that the tax levy would be rising approximately $30,000 for the year, which appears slightly above the mandated tax cap, which is at around 0.67 percent this year.
“We’ve been told it’s under the cap figure,” said deputy town clerk Debbie Decker.
The budget hearing announced on October 26 will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, November 10 in Hurley town hall. It appears that copies of the budget can be perused at the same location between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
It is expected that the budget will be passed after its hearing given that the town’s next meeting is scheduled for November 21, a day after the budget is supposed to be passed according to town law.