Port Jervis gets 7.3% tax hike

ANYA TIKKA
Posted 1/4/17

PORT JERVIS, NY  — After five public budget workshops, and at times heated council exchanges, Port Jervis Common Council passed a budget for 2017 at $15,181,598.00, with a 7.66% increase …

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Port Jervis gets 7.3% tax hike

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PORT JERVIS, NY  — After five public budget workshops, and at times heated council exchanges, Port Jervis Common Council passed a budget for 2017 at $15,181,598.00, with a 7.66% increase or about $9.57 a month to the average homeowner. The final budget saw a reduction of $11,749.00 from Mayor Kelly Decker’s proposed budget.

At the December 15 meeting, objections had been raised about the amount by council members Sarah Hendry, Kiel VanHorn, Kristin Trovei and Stan Siegel who all voted “no,” saying many residents could not afford any increases. Lisa Randazzo, Gina Fitzpatrick, George Belcher, David Bavoso and Regis Foster voted yes for the proposed increase.

Trovei said, “To me personally, it wasn’t about a specific number I had to get to. It was the process of how the council got to that number that was important.”

Council members had discussed various ways of either increasing revenue or decreasing costs, without losing personnel.

Mayor Kelly Decker said the city is going to see a major economic boom in the next few years as major construction of the downtown promenade and street and sidewalk improvements will lure more business to the area. He said several businesses are going to be opening in this coming year.

Bavoso said always playing catch up and not having enough funds to move forward with necessary projects was never going to get the city anywhere.

The Port Jervis City website lists the highlights of the new budget. They include adding an 18th officer to the police department beginning next September and the addition of a new watershed caretaker, without a reduction in manpower to the Department of Public Works.

Although there is no money left this year to add to the Sewer Reserve fund, the city will continue to collect sewer fees that will pay for ongoing Department of Environmental Conservation improvements to keep the sewer system working.

The good news for many residents is there will be few reductions in services in 2017.

The service provided by the local Meals-on-Wheels program will end on September 30; however, the county will continue to provide the Meals-On-Wheels to home-bound residents after that date.

On a sadder note, Decker noted that 2016 was a rough year for council. “We lost three public servants; keep their families in your prayers,” he said.

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