Math is Relevant… Sorry Szukala
Who has the time to do the calculations, thinking, organizing, explaining, research, etc. to see how property tax bills for Amherst (excluding the County portion) have been and will be impacted since Brian Kulpa, Michael Szukala, Shawn Lavin, & Jacqui Berger have have been in office? Residents have seen first hand, the board wishes not to make this information easily accessible, understandable, willing to explain it effectively, or really wish to discuss. However, I don’t mind running excel tables, researching bills, and doing the work to explain and provide residents with clear and easily accessible information.
Below and under the “Finances” tab, I’ve built out a 2018 through 2024 Town of Amherst (only, again stressing county tax is not included in my calculations) property tax impact table that clearly shows an estimate (using 14226 and 14221) of what an assessed property has to pay the Town of Amherst and how that compares percentage wise to the cost of living adjustment coming from social security as many rely on that fixed income.
What this has shown, is the Town Board has increased residents’ property tax from 2018 to 2024 by 30.6%. For example, a $400,000 assessed house may be paying nearly $1,000+ more from $3,184 in 2018 to $4,158 in 2024, and remember that that carries forward indefinitely for the most part.
Here comes the kicker though. From 2018 to 2023, the increase of property tax was 18.8%. However, from Kulpa’s 11.42% tax levy increase for 2024 that 18.8% figure jumps up to 30.6% now.
From a year over year view, residents can expect their bills to increase 10% of actual cold hard cash out of their pockets for 2024.
Remember, Supervisor Kulpa said in a news interview - the taxes are going up for projects like turning Westwood Country Club into a $45 million+ field trip campus (removing 17+/- acres of greenspace), the town looking to acquire the 60 acres of the Blvd. Mall after a legal battle against JCPenney to then spend ~$30 million+ to demo and redo infrastructure to then give it back to the private sector development firms for unknown prices, and for the $33 million + an estimated $18 million of interest on the 20 year loan for 9,600 LED Streetlights.
These projects are all to support NYS initiatives from Gov. Kathy Hochul too, for her housing goal (Blvd. Mall), 500k LED streetlight goal (Streetlights), and the NYS Waterfront Revitalization Plan (Westwood) - or in other words… Brian Kulpa (and town board) are lining their resumes to satisfy themselves and friends rather than representing what residents actually want.
And you are paying for it!
Click on the image below to take you to the Finance tab webpage.
More coming soon!
