H'port passes 2007 budget
By ROB PRICE THE COURIER-ADVOCATE

HAMMONDSPORT - Village residents may have noticed a drop in their county tax bills earlier this month. But they shouldn't spend their savings yet.

The village board Friday was scheduled to pass a $564,000 budget for the 2007 fiscal year that requires a $135,000 boost in the local tax levy. The higher levy is necessary to close a revenue gap that opened when village board members elected not to receive the village's share of Steuben County sales tax revenue, according to the village clerk's office.

County sales tax revenues instead were applied directly against village residents' county property bills, with the result each property owner's county tax bill should have dropped by approximately the same amount as their village tax bill will increase.

The new village budget will go into effect March 1, according to village Clerk Lela Martuscello. Tax bills will be mailed at the end of February.

Steuben County Treasurer Carol Whitehead said the county was able to apply about $128,000 worth of sales tax credit against village residents' county tax bills.

The village in turn lost that same amount in sales tax revenue from the county treasury.

The total budget raises expenses by nearly $20,000 and maintains the 2006 tax rate of $11.50 per $1,000 of assessed value.

The tax rate, however, is likely to lead to a higher tax bill for most property owners, as Hammondsport underwent an assessment revaluation in 2006.