TOWN OF TUSTEN, NY — A proposed local law to raise the tax cap in Tusten was introduced and the importance of rabies was discussed during a regular meeting on September 8.

Taxes
Town supervisor Ben Johnson explained that while he wasn’t worried last year about exceeding the state’s tax cap, he is worried this year. This fear, he said, was partly due to a water project, continuing to pay off a highway project near Little Lake Erie, and that mortgage taxes may decrease.

Johnson emphasized that the law—which would allow Tusten the option to raise taxes by more than two percent—is being introduced now, and that a public hearing will be formally held at 6:20 p.m on October 13, before the next board meeting.

”There’s a public hearing 10 minutes before the meeting. Are we gonna get any questions answered in 10 minutes?” one attendee asked the board.

Johnson responded that 6:20 p.m. was chosen just in case many don’t attend the public hearing for the proposed local law, but he is okay with some rollover, as a board meeting follows after regardless.

Board member Kevin McDonough emphasized that the public hearing was to factor in the public’s opinion to vote on the option to exceed the tax cap, not to decide whether or not to actually exceed it.

Budget workshops for the fiscal year 2027 will be held on October 9 at 10 a.m. and October 26 at 10 a.m. A public hearing on the budget will be held on November 4 at 6 p.m.

Rabies
Johnson reminded those in attendance that a free rabies clinic would be on September 16 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m at the Narrowsburg Fire Department. 

Sullivan County Legislator Catherine Scott was in attendance, and stressed the importance of pets receiving a rabies vaccine.

“It could be the difference between just the quarantine or unfortunately losing your pet,” she said.

Scott added that recently in Livingston Manor, a person made contact with a bat that tested positive for rabies. The vaccinations for that person cost the county $10,000 to $12,000, Scott said.

New York State requires that every county authorize treatment for every person exposed to rabies. With that authorization, the county often pays for it.

Rabies in humans has “a 99.9 percent fatality rate,” she said.

Once symptoms start showing up, the World Health Organization cites that it is 100 percent fatal.

The vaccine clinic is “free, so I really encourage people to take advantage of this,” she said.