Holley approves village budget with 9.9% tax increase

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 April 2026 at 12:01 pm

HOLLEY – The Village Board on Monday adopted a $3,601,257 village budget that will increase taxes by 9.9 percent.

The $1,303,831 tax levy is up from $1,186,379 for 2025-26. The tax rate will increase from $19.54 to $21.51 per $1,000 of assessed property.

The budget includes the General Fund at $2,165,925, Water Fund at $983,883 and Sewer Fund at $451,448.

During a public hearing on the budget April 15, Mayor Mark Bower said the village hasn’t seen in increase in other revenues and needs to raise taxes.

Holley has sought more of the local sales tax from the Orleans County Legislature but the share to towns and villages hasn’t changed since 2001.

The state is proposing a small increase in AIM (Aid and Incentives to Municipalities). Holley has been stuck at $17,786 in AIM for several years. Gov. Hochul, in her budget proposal, has another $3,732 in AIM for Holley through “Temporary Municipal Assistance.”

Here is a breakdown of the General Fund by each department with previous year in parenthesis: DPW at $870,855 ($782,267); Police at $453,973 ($406,911); Office at $296,729 ($299,789); Code Enforcement at $72,313 ($71,280); Employee Benefits at $199,700 ($136,030) and Debt Payments at $72,710 ($75,146).

The 9.9 percent tax increase follows a budget where taxes went up by 10.0 percent. Over the past two years, the village property taxes have now gone up 20.9 percent or another $225,304 in the tax levy to $1,303,831.