Hearing on Town Budget

    A hearing will be held at East Hampton Town Hall next Thursday night at 7 p.m. on a preliminary 2013 town budget of just over $69 million.

    If adopted as proposed, the budget would result in a 4.6-percent tax rate increase for most town residents, and a 1.7-percent tax rate decrease for those living in East Hampton or Sag Harbor Villages, who are not taxed for certain services already provided by the villages.

    Tax rates would be $27.86 per $100 of assessed value for properties in the town, and $10.93 per $100 of assessed value for properties in the villages.

    For the first time in several years, elected and appointed officials, as well as town department heads, would receive a 2-percent salary increase under the proposed budget.

    Salaries for town board members would be set at $61,750. The town supervisor’s annual compensation would be $98,800, and the salaries for both the highway superintendent and the town clerk would be $83,285.

    Two discussions of the tentative budget prepared by Supervisor Bill Wilkinson resulted in few changes to the draft. However, the town board may revise the budget before meeting a state-imposed Nov. 20 deadline for final budget adoption based on comments made by members of the public at the hearing.