Salem’s new budgets are final!

Salem gave birth to new budgets to allow the town to operate in the government year which begins tomorrow, July 1.  The budgets were made final during second reading at a special meeting last night at the Town Hall.  The general budget amounts to more than $645 thousand and includes a cost of living adjustment of 2.5% for Salem employees.  The tax rate remains the same, meaning that Salem residents will pay a property tax equivalent to $3.41 for every $100 dollars of assessed evaluation. The small town’s big money maker is water, and the approved utility budget tips the scale at just a little more than $1 million.  Over the next 12 months, Salem anticipates water sales of $715 thousand.  Customers will see their monthly bills increase by three percent in part, town officials say, to deflect an increased wholesale cost of water from the City of Seneca.