NEW SCOTLAND — At its monthly meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 8, the town board unanimously approved a $7.7 million budget for next year.

The 2018 adopted tax rate for all New Scotland residents (including the village of Voorheesville) is $1.40 per $1,000 of assessed value; in 2017, the rate is $1.42 per $1,000.

There were no comments from residents during the public hearing for the budget.

The adopted budget for 2018 is .01 percent higher than 2017’s adopted budget, placing it well under the state-set levy limit, and is up slightly from what was proposed at the October town meeting.

The increase can be attributed to a 2-percent cost-of-living increase for town employees, which will be paid for from fund balances.

In October, Supervisor Douglas LaGrange said that an increase in assessed value and growth in the number of new homes gave New Scotland “the opportunity to back off a little on taxes to our major funds for this coming year.”

In addition to the cost-of-living increase, there is also an increase to pay for emergency medical services to cover the former Voorheesville ambulance district, which is now staffed by the sheriff’s office and not volunteers.

And the town saw a $25,000 increase in its tipping fee; the fee charged by the city of Albany landfill on Rapp Road to take New Scotland’s trash. New Scotland is one of the last towns in the area that picks up its residents’ trash.

Other business

In other business, the town board:

—  Heard a report from the audit and finance committee, which reviewed all aspects of the supervisor’s cash records from 2016. Councilman Adam Greenberg, who was on the committee, said, “It was a pretty good audit, because … Doug [LaGrange] has been on top of this. For his first term, I think, it went amazingly well”;

— Approved a resolution to re-levy 2017 unpaid water and sewer charges to the 2018 tax roll. If residents do not pay their water bill, it is added to the tax bill that they receive from the town in January;

— Discussed appointment of new member to the town’s planning board. Current member Daniel Leining won election to the town board and will step down, leaving two vacancies on the planning board. The current vacant spot is being filled by alternate Robert Davies, who stepped in following Jo Ann Davies (no relation) departure; and

— Authorized the supervisor to execute a grant disbursement agreement for the Hilton barn relocation project. This will allow New Scotland to receive $125,000 from the state.