TUPPER LAKE — The state comptroller’s office has set this village’s tax cap at 1.78% for its 2020 budget, and with rising costs for staff health insurance, building projects and office supplies, members of the village government say keeping the budget under that will be difficult, even unlikely.

“Local governments will not be able to meet the tax cap much longer,” village Mayor Paul Maroun said. “There is no local government in this state that is going to be able to, for long, maintain the (tax cap).”

Maroun has been saying this for a while now. Village Treasurer Mary Casagrain said it is likely the village board will pass a local law to allow its budget to exceed the tax cap.

“I can’t say that for certain because we always get close,” Casagrain said. “But I would anticipate that they would have to.”

The tax cap base is based on 2% or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower, and then tailored for each municipality. The cap may fluctuate based on several factors, but Casagrain said she does not anticipate many changes.

Casagrain said equipment purchases and improvements to the Municipal Park baseball field for the River Pigs team to play there this coming summer will be added to the 2020 budget.

The village of Tupper Lake has a May 1 budget deadline.

Saranac Lake’s budget, which will be passed in April, has a tax cap of 1.85%. Budgets passed in a fiscal year starting after June 1 have yet to have tax cap bases set. They will be announced in January.