FALCONER – Falconer Village Board members are considering ending a tax collection agreement with the town of Ellicott in a cost-cutting measure.

The village has had an agreement with Ellicott for about 20 years that has designated the town to collect the village’s taxes. The village is considering performing tax collection themselves, which may save money for taxpayers.

The topic was discussed by the town board at a recent meeting. Mayor James Jaroszynski said the contract between the village and the town is up for a renewal this year, and the village is considering the possibility of taking over tax collection. Jaroszynski said the village has not yet decided on the outcome, but would be foolish to not at least consider the possibility.

Jaroszynski said village officials have done background research on the ability of the village to be able to provide these services. The village does have the capability to do so, and village Treasurer Paula Spunaugle would be able to complete any associated tasks, said Jaroszynski.

Jaroszynski noted that the new contract presented by the town of Ellicott for tax collection is a two-year contract with about $5,400 in costs each year. This means that if the village decides on performing tax collection themselves, then the town could potentially save $10,800 over the course of two years. Jaroszynski also stated that he feels that the village is equipped to offer the same services as the town of Ellicott.

The board tabled the idea at the Oct. 14 meeting. Jaroszynski said that setting up the software from the county, and other preparations, must be started throughout this winter. Therefore Jaroszynski does expect that action will be taken on the matter at the next board meeting on Nov. 10. Members of the public are welcomed to attend and express opinions on the matter to the board members.

Members of the board have also been looking into other measures to bring savings to taxpayers within the village. Other measures include looking into any possible savings that could be made in the area of dog control. Jaroszynski noted that the state Agriculture and Markets law specifies that the municipality collecting money on behalf of licensing is responsible for dog pickup as well. This means that the village has optionally chosen to have a dog control officer for many years, said Jaroszynski. Jaroszynski stated that village Dog Officer Matt Abbey does have the ability to assist the town in pickup, but is not the primary person responsible. Instead, Abbey’s tasks mostly consist of handling issues involving local ordinance violations. This does not necessarily mean that the village is going to get rid of the position, but that the board is investigating ways to save money within this area. The board is looking to discuss matters further in November, said Jaroszynski.

These measures could both potentially result in savings that would be felt by taxpayers in the village. No decisions have been made on either issue at the moment, and both issues are to be discussed further at the town board meeting in November.