St. Armand board introduces proposed Local Law to allow tax-levy override for 2025

The Town of St. Armand Town Board on Oct. 9 introduced proposed Local Law No. 2 of 2024 to permit the town to override the statutory tax-levy limit under General Municipal Law §3-c if needed for the 2025 budget. Deputy Supervisor Karl Law moved the resolution introducing the local law; Councilperson Donna Whitelaw seconded the motion and the introduction was adopted by roll call as recorded in the minutes.

Supervisor (identified in portions of the minutes as Davina Thurston) told the board that the preliminary 2025 budget “appeared to be under the proposed Tax Cap,” but said the County Attorney recommends towns introduce a local law authorizing an override as a precaution in case circumstances change. The resolution text read into the record states the town board would be authorized to adopt a budget that requires a tax levy in excess of the tax-levy limit calculated under General Municipal Law §3-c for 2025.

The resolution as printed in the minutes sets a public hearing on the proposed local law for Oct. 9, 2024 at 5:30 p.m. and includes standard severability and an effective-date provision. The minutes also show the text contains inconsistent internal year references (the printed text refers in places to 2018 and 2024 while authorizing an override for 2025); the board did not amend those references at the introduction. Under New York law, a local-law override of the tax-levy limit requires publication and, for final adoption, the board must follow the statutory procedures including the required voting threshold.