Newfield board optimistic about spending ahead of preliminary budget release

Town of Newfield officials are optimistic that they won’t have to use the tax cap override they passed in August like they did last year, when the 3% tax levy increase for this year went above the state-recommended 2.86% tax cap for the town.

Despite town employee healthcare costs increasing by 18%, as well as additional increases in state retirement insurance and workers compensation, town bookkeeper Blixy Taetzsch said town officials are not currently anticipating an increase in property taxes that exceed the state tax cap. 

Highway Superintendent Kevin Berggren said that, while his eight-staff department is currently down one member, he also doesn’t anticipate significant budget fluctuations next year. The department’s budget last year and this year were both about $1.86 million.

Taetzsch noted that renovations on town hall are still progressing, including installing an energy efficient heating system and increasing the size of the public meeting room, and said she hopes the project will be finished by the end of the year. She said most of the renovations were paid for with federal funds but that town leaders included about $35,000 in short-term financing for the project in next year’s preliminary budget to pay for construction costs while waiting for potential grant funding to fill the gap.  

“The carpeting is original carpeting from the 1970s,”Taetzsch said. “We’ve never really upgraded anything in this building.”

Town board meetings will take place at the Masonic Temple until December, Supervisor Mike Allinger said.

Taetzsch noted that the town increased water rates by 6% last year to make up for an operational deficit, since the town didn’t raise rates to keep up with inflation for several years. 

However, she said it is unlikely that the board will raise them again for next year.

“They’re not going to do anything in 2026 [with the water rate], they’ll give it a little bit of a rest, but I think after next year we’ll start looking at some kind of a regular schedule of modest increases that might not be as impactful on a year to year basis.”         

Allinger said the 2026 preliminary budget will be presented to the public for the first time at the Thursday, Oct. 9 board meeting. A public hearing will also be scheduled at the meeting to give residents an opportunity to provide feedback before the town adopts its spending plan for next year.  

In brief:

The Newfield United Methodist Church women’s group is slated to host its annual Fall Festival on Saturday, Oct. 18 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

The church, located at 227 Main St., has hosted the event for at least 20 years, according to Mary Beth Gehring-Smith, one of the event organizers.  

Gehring-Smith said this year’s festival will feature crafts such as woodworking, quilts, crocheted items and jewelry, as well as include a bake sale, silent auction and luncheon. Food will include meat and vegetarian chilli, chips, hot dogs, cornbread and apple cake.  

She added that money raised from the event will support the women’s group, a group of about 10 members that donate funds to local non-profits as well as students in Haiti.  

Gehring-Smith said about 200 people attended last year’s festival and is optimistic that this year will see another high turnout. 

“People are starting to think about holiday shopping so it’s a good place to get gifts for holidays,” she said.