KNOX - The town board unanimously adopted Knox's 2008 budget last week, which calls for a tax-rate increase of about 4 cents per $1,000 of assessed value.

Knox residents currently pay about $1.69 per $1,000 of assessed value; in 2008, residents will pay about $1.73 per $1,000.

The $1.95 million budget is about $73,000 higher than the current year's, and $484,534 is to be raised from taxes.

The highway department's budget, which was about $475,000 this year, will increase by about $18,000.

In 2008, hospital and medical insurance will increase about 12-percent.

Supervisor Michael Hammond, who drafted the budget, said rising fuel and energy costs had the biggest effect on the spending plan.

All town officials will get a 3-percent raise in 2008. The town, which added about $7,000 for its assessors, is considering adding an assistant assessor. Knox appoints its assessor, who serves a seven-year term. Hammond said that, if the town appointed an assistant assessor, he or she would be asked to take the same classes as the assessor with the state's Office of Real Property Services and to do the same paperwork and field measurements.

Knox, which has no library of its own, pays the Altamont and Berne libraries for services. In 2008, the town will pay both libraries an additional $500 - $1,300 to Berne and $5,500 to Altamont.

Hammond said the only large-ticket item anticipated in 2008 is a new pickup truck for the town's highway department.

Knox officials will earn the following salaries in 2008:

- Supervisor, $15,870;
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- Town justices, $9,654;
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- Council member, $3,641.50;
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- Town Clerk, $11,978; and
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- Highway superintendent, $50,661.