LIBERTY — Last month, the Village of Liberty passed their annual budget with a 17.59 percent tax increase – over double the 8 percent increase last year. In response, residents levied their complaints to Village officials who looked to give answers as to why residents are looking at paying upwards of $500 dollars or more in extra taxes this year.

To preface the public hearing on Thursday, June 12, Village Mayor Joan Stoddard attributed the tax hike to equally large increases in expenses, like jumps to pay for workers compensation (20.62 percent), retirements (20 percent), health insurance (25.53 percent) and sanitation and recycling (25 percent), all in addition to other expenses, like garbage truck mechanical difficulties and water and sewer mains consistently breaking. 

The mayor noted that with this increase, if a house is valued at $150,000, owners can expect to pay an extra $650.

With a packed house at the Senior Center at 119 N Main Street, over 22 residents from all around the village expressed their grievances for not just the tax jump, but took the opportunity to bring up other issues being seen within village borders. 

Those issues brought forward included road conditions, speeding on backroads and garbage and recycling issues. 

In reference to the taxes, some suggested to find cutting where available. However the Mayor previously noted that in order to keep the village’s services going, the only option was to up taxes or cut those services.

Stoddard also noted that in previous years, a large fund balance was accumulated in the village in part thanks to the County auction, which would historically sell off properties in the village. This time around, that auction did not take place.

But the mayor brought forward more than just the reasons for the increase; she called for the community to rally to push for change at the county level, especially when it comes to tax practices.

With sales tax, the Mayor noted that four percent of a purchase made in the village goes to the State, and four percent goes to the county. However, the county does not share any of the revenue with the Village unlike the towns of the county. 

Town of Liberty Supervisor Frank DeMayo shared with the crowd and the village board that there are talks to look into that more.

“I would encourage everyone in this room to go to the county legislative meetings and say ‘why are you not making us whole? You are hurting our villages and we are picking up the burden of this,’” Stoddard pleaded.

“We have been fighting this for many, many, many years, and we’ve gotten nowhere. It’s time for the people to go and say enough,” Stoddard continued. “We need to take care of our villages, because [the villages] are the hearts of the county.”

As residents of the village as well, Stoddard expressed that she is, as well as the other members of the Village Board, also going to feel the hurt of the increase.