Bath town taxes to rise 3 percent
By ROB PRICE THE COURIER-ADVOCATE

BATH - Residents of the Village and Town of Bath will see a three-percent increase in their 2008 town tax bills.

The Bath town board last week unanimously passed a $3-million budget that includes a tax levy of $1 million. Town Supervisor Fred Muller noted the tax levy will rise by $41,000 over last year's levy, a four-percent increase.

For Bath village residents, the higher levy will lead to a tax rate of $2.93 per $1,000 of assessed value, an increase of 10 cents per $1,000.

For Bath town residents, the 2008 levy will lead to a tax rate of $6.26 per $1,000 of assessed value, an increase of 19 cents per $1,000.

A village house assessed at $50,000 will yield a tax bill of $146, up $5; a $50,000 town residence will yield a tax bill of $313, up $9.50.

The five-percent increase in overall appropriations was driven, Muller said, by increases in employees' wages, health insurance and workers' compensation costs.

Highway employees will receive four percent raises in 2008. A copy of the town budget shows appropriations for highway employees' wages increasing by about $30,000, from $607,000 in 2007 to $631,000 in 2008.

The budget indicates salaries for the town supervisor and councilmen will remain fixed at $17,432 and $4,184 respectively.