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Local activist group urges using reserves to cut property taxes; board pushes back
Summary
Chris Lang told the board he and his group plan a mail campaign urging the town to release reserves to reduce property taxes, citing a 372% reserve figure; the Supervisor pushed back, noting fund restrictions, upcoming capital projects and grant fronting that complicate any rebate.
Chris Lang, identifying himself during public comment, said his group plans to send a mailer to town residents arguing the town could reduce property taxes by releasing reserve funds now. Lang asserted the town’s "reserve levels are at 372%, which is 2.1 times higher than the next town, which is Lake George," and asked the board to consider a plan to hold back county-level funds to lower taxes immediately.
The Supervisor countered that reserve figures are not a single, fungible pool and explained the town maintains separate funds—most notably a highway fund that "only get[s] used on roads"—and that the town must front nearly $1,000,000 in grant expenses and spend about $3,000,000 on an upcoming highway infrastructure project. He said these constraints mean the headline reserve number does not translate directly into money available for immediate tax relief.
