WHITE LAKE — The Bethel Town Board adopted its 2027 budget Wednesday, October 28, after making a last-minute $6,500 adjustment to accommodate an unexpected increase in the town’s contribution to the Jeffersonville Ambulance District.

The adjustment allowed the town to remain $410.98 below its state property tax cap, avoiding the need for an override.

Supervisor Daniel Sturm explained that the town’s preliminary budget had been approximately $3,035 below the cap before revised ambulance district figures arrived on the day of the meeting.

Bethel’s allocation for Jeffersonville Ambulance increased from approximately $53,000 to $62,000, creating a $9,000 difference in the town’s tax cap calculation.

With about $3,000 already available beneath the cap, Sturm proposed reducing a budget account used to set aside money for anticipated municipal construction costs by $6,500.

The account had been accumulating funds for a potential Town Hall project and payments associated with the highway garage project.

Sturm said the account contained sufficient money to accommodate the reduction without affecting the town’s immediate obligations.

Sturm said the adjustment would lower the projected 2027 tax rate from $10.70 to $10.69 per $1,000 of assessed value.

The board unanimously approved the amendment before opening the public hearing on the budget.

During the hearing, a resident questioned why ambulance district levies are included in the town’s tax cap calculation while fire districts are treated separately.

Sturm explained that although Bethel collects and distributes the money for the ambulance districts, it does not directly control their budgets.

“We don’t approve the Bethel Ambulance budget. We don’t approve Jeffersonville Ambulance’s budget,” Sturm said. “It’s a pass-through.”

Nevertheless, the ambulance levies are included in the state’s calculation of Bethel’s allowable property tax levy.

Sturm said the allocation was partly affected by how costs are apportioned among the municipalities served by the district.

He emphasized that the $9,000 increase was not necessarily attributable entirely to an increase in the ambulance district’s overall budget.

The board closed the public hearing without further comments and unanimously adopted the amended 2027 budget.