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Town spending, tax levy up over ’24 totals
By Terry Duffy
Editor-in-Chief
Wheatfield Town Board members received the tentative budget for 2025 at their Oct. 7 regular meeting from Clerk Kathleen Harrington-McDonell.
By the numbers, the plan – finalized Sept. 30 – reflects modest town spending increases over 2024 and the corresponding adjustments to the tax levy. It totals $16,765,470 – an increase of $778,217 over the 2024 adopted town budget of $15,987,253. For 2025, the tax levy impact in the tentative budget totals $4,303,134 – an increase of $123,000 from last year.
Broken down, the budget finds the following: general fund – $5,948,412 in appropriations, use of $900,000 from the fund balance and a tax levy impact of $0; highway fund – $3,528,530 in appropriations, $475,000 from the fund balance and $0 impact on the tax levy. The water fund includes $1,032,000 in spending and revenues, with a $0 tax levy.
Other accounts include the sewer fund – $1,878,134 in appropriations, $100,000 from the fund balance and a $1,001,134 impact on the tax levy; and fire protection district appropriations of $1,950,000, $150,000 from the fund balance and a $1,800,000 impact on the tax levy. The town’s lighting districts include $38,000 in appropriations, $1,000 from the fund balance and $37,000 on the tax levy; and the garbage district – $1,490,000 in appropriations, $25,000 from the fund balance and $1,465,000 on the tax levy.
Overall, the budget reflects a government mindset seen toward greater efficiency and cost management in operations amid a challenging economy. In Wheatfield, the budgeting trend finds greater town reliance on appropriations fund balances in many accounts and expense reductions in others.
The Town Board is expected to review the numbers over coming weeks. It will meet next on Monday, Oct. 21, with a public hearing on the 2025 budget planned for Monday, Nov. 4. The board is expected to adopt the budget soon after and submit it to the state comptroller’s office by mid-November.
The budget is available for public review in the town clerk’s office. For more information, call 716-694-5419.