Town of Union finalizes 2013 budget

11/19/2012 (Updated 11:30:13 PM)

UNION -- The Town of Union is set to approve it's 2013 budget, which calls for tax hikes of 2.7% for the Villages of Endicott and Johnson City, and 2.5% in the rest of the town.

For an average residential property, the increase is about $4 per year in the villages, and $10 annually elsewhere in the town.  The town has tried to keep costs down by not replacing departing employees, which allows savings on salary and increasing health-care costs.

"The health care package for Blue Cross Blue shield went up 16% so our Town of Union family package is $23,000 now," said Town of Union Deputy Supervisor Rose Sotak.

Sotak says a $10.1 million federal grant will offset costs to rebuild the town's infrastructure damaged during the 2011 flood.  Preliminary drafts of the budget had slightly larger increases, which were worked down through  cuts in overtime spending.