The Chautauqua Town Board has made a slight increase in its tax rate, but still has the lowest tax rate in the county.

According to Supervisor Don Emhardt, the town board recently approved a $5 million overall budget. The levy, which is the amount raised through taxes, is $650,000.

Emhardt said the tax rate for 2025 is 47 cents per $1,000 assessed valuation. That is up 3 cents from this current year.

Earlier this year, the Mayville, Dewittville and Hartfield fire departments merged into a single fire department. Emhardt said that the new district’s budget is $410,000. That is basically what the three departments’ budgets would have been before being combined, plus a slight increase, staying under the 2% tax cap.

For the town’s general budget in 2025, Emhardt said they will finish the roof for the municipal building, will be doing an electrical upgrade at the town barn, and will continue to work on the many sewer and water projects in the town.

During the December town board meeting:

– The town board extended its moratorium on Battery Energy Storage Systems for another six months. The town said it is waiting for better direction from the state regarding fire protection before it will allow a battery energy storage facility in the municipality. There are no pending applications.

– The town board appointed Sandy Wagner as the second alternate on the town Zoning Board of Appeals.

-The town hired Richard Walczack as a code enforcement officer, effective in January. He will be joining current Code Officer Frank Watson. The town’s code office also handles all code and building permits for the village of Mayville.