Lakewood taxpayers to receive refund in 2027-28
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LAKEWOOD – Lakewood residents will receive a tax credit after the village's tax levy exceeded the state tax cap.
At Tuesday night’s Village Board meeting, Mayor Randy Holcomb announced the village had collected taxes above the state tax cap limit by $284,983. Holcomb said transparency was a hallmark of the village board and his administration and that they were taking all appropriate actions to rectify the situation.
"Transparency is of the utmost importance for this board," he added.
Trustee Ellen Barnes and Holcomb said the board would establish accounts in accordance with the state General Municipal Law, which limits real property tax levies by local governments and requires them to place excess amounts received in reserve. That money then offsets the next year's tax levy, returning the funds to taxpayers as a tax credit.
Section Six of the NYCL- GMU reads in part, "In the event a local government’s actual tax levy for a given fiscal year exceeds the tax levy limit as established pursuant to this section due to clerical or technical errors, the local government shall place the excess amount of the levy in reserve in accordance with such requirements as the state comptroller may prescribe, and shall use such funds and any interest earned thereon to offset the tax levy for the ensuing fiscal year. If, upon examination pursuant to sections thirty-three and thirty-four of this chapter, the state comptroller finds that a local government levied taxes in excess of the applicable tax levy limit, the local government, as soon as practicable, shall place an amount equal to the excess amount of the levy in such reserve in accordance with this subdivision."
"We acknowledge this issue and want to be transparent about how we are addressing it," said Holcomb. "We are following the law."
The board then passed a motion to establish accounts to hold the $284,983 overage amount for the upcoming 2027-28 fiscal budget in accordance with the law.
Additionally, the board approved a resolution supporting the replacement of the scoreboard at Michael LaGrega Field. The project, located at the baseball diamond on Linwood Avenue, is a collaborative effort involving the Southwestern Little League program, the Lakewood Community Development Corporation, Jamestown Macadam, Chad DeVliegar, and the Lakewood Department of Public Works.
-Lakewood-Busti Police Chief Matthew Bentley reported that several organizations had raised funds for the department’s K-9 units.
" We've received a donation from Paws for the Law for $5,500; $2,000 from Jeep Jam (via the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation -CRCF), and $871 from the Legion," he said. "There's been a lot of support for the program."
Bentley also reported that the K-9 team was recently deployed in a tracking operation for missing children.
"We deployed a team to help find two missing children, aged eight and nine, he said. "The children were found in the Wegman's parking lot."
– The board canceled the Oct. 12 scheduled meeting due to the observance of Columbus day/Indigenous People holiday.
– The board passed a resolution to set the date and time for the village-wide Halloween Trick or Treat for Saturday, Oct. 31, from 6 to 8 p.m.