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No one likes taxes, me included.

However, your taxes fund essential services like keeping our roads plowed and parks maintained. Town taxes also support library and recreation programs, including Town-wide events like our annual Independence Day Celebration and summer concert series.

The Penfield Town Board remains committed to fiscal conservativism and transparency. We know that we are entrusted as stewards of your tax dollars and strive to implement budgetary policy reflecting this great responsibility. Now that the 2023 Preliminary Budget is developed, we can explain how this impacts your upcoming Town tax bill which you will receive in January.

What’s in my tax bill?

In short, your total tax bill is determined by the established tax levy (total amount of tax dollars collected) of each taxing entity.

Presently, the Town tax levy accounts for only about 7% of your total tax bill with the remaining percentage allocated for school (Penfield CSD or Webster CSD for most residents) and Monroe County taxes. Roughly 69% of your tax bill (depending on school district) goes to school tax and about 24% to Monroe County tax.

Rough breakdown of your tax bill:

• Town of Penfield: 7% 
• Monroe County: 24%
• Penfield CSD or Webster CSD (Webster CSD percentage may differ slightly): 69%

Additional taxing districts such as fire, lighting, and sewer are also included in your final tax bill.

To put your Town tax bill in perspective, the property owner of an average home valued at $269,000 pays roughly $47 per month for General Governmental Town services. 

See how your Town taxes compare to other monthly household expenses here.

2023 Budget

We have been working on the 2023 budget since July. You may remember I touched on this process in a previous note I shared.

A few areas to highlight which have been included in the tentative 2023 budget include:

• Expanded brush drop-off services
• Evening staffing at Penfield Community Center
• Dedicated staffing at reception area at Town Hall

As we finalize our budget for 2023, we will ensure Town operations continue to run effectively while adhering to Penfield’s tradition of fiscal responsibility. With that, our Town Board is continuously seeking ways to create a better Penfield, including enhancing services to benefit residents.

Key Takeaways and Timeline

• Tentative budget was presented at a Town Board meeting on Wednesday, September 21
• Public Hearing for the 2023 budget set for Wednesday, October 19
• Final budget adoption is expected at Wednesday, November 2 Town Board meeting
• Based on the 2023 tentative budget which was presented at the Town Board meeting Wednesday, September 21, the Town tax levy (amount of tax collected) is expected to decrease by $37,000 this year despite the economic headwinds we face with inflationary conditions. This means that the Town of Penfield is collecting fewer dollars from taxpayers compared to last year.
• Tax rate (amount of tax you pay per $1,000 of assessed property value) is anticipated to decrease to $2.10

Our website remains a great resource for information on the 2023 budget. However, please do not hesitate to reach out should you have any specific questions about the budgeting process not addressed on the website.