WHITESTOWN — Property taxes will be going up slightly in the proposed 2010 town budget.

Town Supervisor Charles R. Gibbs II said that although every department request has been scrutinized and overall spending is down it is "very unfortunate" that the tax rate will be going up approximately 4 percent. "This is due to the loss of vital revenues, which historically have funded the many services offered by the town. Declining sales tax, mortgage tax and the loss of off-track betting revenues have gravely affected the finances of the town," he said.

A public hearing on the town’s budget will take place at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the new Town Meeting Room at 8539 Clark Mills Road in Whitesboro. At 7:15 p.m., there will be a public hearing on the special districts budget.

The rate would go from $2.68 per $1,000 in assessed value to $2.79 per thousand if the budget is approved. Although no services are expected to be cut, the town has offset its anticipated 8 percent decline in revenues by an increase in the assessment roll and a slight raise in tax dollars. This increase will equate to $10 per year on the average home in Whitestown.

With the exception of the town highway paving budget, no departmental budget received more than a 2 percent increase. Many departments were cut to below 2009 levels. Finance Director Nancy Hartman said, "All departments have been cut to bare bones."

Sales tax revenue for next year is projected at $2.12 million, the same as it was this year.

Spending will drop from $5,144,000 this year to $5,129,000 in 2010. Revenue, which matched spending this year, will again match it so there will be no use of reserves, Hartman said.

Many departments volunteered not to spend budgeted allotments for 2009, which resulted in maintaining and stabilizing the town’s fund balance, Gibbs noted. "Department heads and town board members have worked very hard this year in monitoring their current budgets and developing budgets for 2010 which can provide the necessary services without overtaxing the residents. In the Town of Whitestown it is a cooperative effort of all those involved."

Salaries for elected officials in 2010 are: $7,763 for each of the four town councilors (unchanged), $14,818 for the part-time supervisor (unchanged), $32,839 for town clerk (up 2 percent), $56,995 for the highway superintendent (up 2 percent), $28,366 for the tax collector (up 2 percent), $17,308 each for the two town justices (up 2 percent).