Guilderland’s $100.7 million school budget proposal closes a $1.6 million gap partly by using $930,000 from the district’s fund balance.

On Feb. 12, the Voorheesville Board of Education was presented with the district’s first draft of next year’s budget for $24,759,000.

State Senator George Amedore expects two bills, like the ones he sponsored in the Senate to help Guilderland residents hit with tax hikes, will pass soon in the Assembly, sponsored by Patricia Fahy.

The town took in almost $4.6 million in prepayments of property tax during the last four days of 2017. Those who could benefit from prepaying, one expert said, are those who itemize, are not fully subject to alternate minimum tax, and owe more than $10,000 in taxes.

The biggest change to the federal tax code in over a generation has left many unclear about what the local implications may be.   

The Albany County Sheriff’s Office is in the process of bringing all first responders in the county onto the same 800-megahertz system. Guilderland has budgeted $300,000 to outfit its communications center with the equipment needed to use the system.

State legislators representing Guilderland have written to the governor asking for changes in how the state-set equalization rate is handled.

The Altamont Reservoir is worth a third of the value at which the town of Knox, where the reservoir is located, had assessed the property.

Though the town’s preliminary budget includes a tax cut for residents, increased costs are looming in Berne’s future that may mean consolidating departments to save, says the supervisor.

In Rensselaerville, the town board repeated the tradition of holding a hearing on whether to enact a local law to go above the state-set tax-levy limit. But Supervisor Valerie Lounsbury said that this is likely unnecessary, as the preliminary budget, with a 1.73-percent tax-levy increase, is set to stay below the cap.