Sleepy Hollow tax hike deserves support

Your newspaper was troubled by Sleepy Hollow's last tax referendum in April, 2015. You noted that the village's tax increase request failed to meet taxpayers "halfway" after voters "slam dunked by a 3-to-1 ratio plans" for a property tax increase in 2014.

You pointed out the village finance committee had been bypassed for the April, 2015 tax increase request. You rightly reported that I said the village again failed to sharpen its pencils finely enough. At the time of your "No" endorsement you noted that I thought the village could get by with about half the additional $428,571 it wanted to collect from taxpayers last April.

Good news. Three times the charm. As a result of a comprehensive analysis, the village is only requesting a tax increase of a $180,000.

The village's operating revenue and expense along with road maintenance and capital equipment replacement needs were reviewed. We looked at three years of historical data back to 2013. We look at the current fiscal year ending April 30th. We made some assumptions going forward projecting out yearly for four years through fiscal 2020. We learned capital fund reserves were dropping over $500,000 and the general fund would accumulate a $500,000 deficit. The culprit was declining utility taxes, a projected decrease in state income taxes and a drop in sales taxes.

The numbers told us $228,000 was needed. Would taxpayers buy in? What about fixed income seniors? The finance committee opted to propose only $180,000 to get us through the next couple years. After that we re-forecast and re-evaluate the need for another referendum, if any.

The board concurred. Will you? Voters of our safe family-oriented community should. We appreciate our elected officials, service club volunteers, professional police force and small staff. They make the home of the headless horseman unique.

Mike Tennis

Sleepy Hollow