Tupper Lake town Supervisor Rickey Dattola explains various budget provisions on Oct. 23 at one of the five workshop meetings the town board held in crafting the 2026 town budget, which was adopted unanimously on Monday. (Enterprise photo — Chris Gaige)

TUPPER LAKE — The Tupper Lake town board unanimously voted to adopt its 2026 budget, as well as a five-year fire protection agreement with the village of Tupper Lake — which oversees the Tupper Lake Volunteer Fire Department — at its regular meeting on Monday.

The approximately $3.56 million town budget carried a 3.39% increase in the overall tax levy — including special, water and sewer districts — above the 2% tax cap. The board had to pass a local law to override the tax cap, which it unanimously voted to do at Monday’s meeting, just before voting on the budget itself.

The total 2026 tax levy is $2,756,695, an increase of $90,397 from last year’s total tax levy of $2,666,298, according to town Accountant Samantha Davies.

It doesn’t mean everyone will see the same rate increases. Properties within village limits have a different town tax rate than those in the town but outside the village. The water and sewer districts pay unique rates on top of the general taxes paid by people living in those districts. That district money goes back into maintaining and upgrading infrastructure for those districts, including debt incurred for previous projects there.

There was minimal budget and tax cap discussion at Monday’s meeting, largely because the board had already held five budget workshop meetings throughout the late summer and fall. These were largely dedicated to finding ways the town could trim excess spending before coming up with a final proposal to be voted on.

There were no public comments on the budget, or the local law overriding the tax cap at a pair of hearings held on Nov. 3, as well as the Nov. 10 meeting.

The town budget raises about $2.76 million in taxes, which is combined with anticipated revenues, unexpended balance and appropriated reserves to reach the budget’s total figure.

This year’s $3.56 million town budget is a roughly 1.8% increase in appropriations from last year’s approximately $3.5 million.

Under the budget, those residing in the town of Tupper Lake, but outside the village of Tupper Lake, will pay $4.73 per $1,000 of assessed property value in taxes — meaning someone with a property assessed at $300,000 will pay $1,419 in town general taxes, an increase of $49.35 from the last budget.

Those living inside the village lines will pay $3.43 per $1,000 of assessed property — meaning someone with a property assessed at $300,000 will pay $1,029 in town general taxes, an increase of $63.56 from the last budget.

Town taxpayers residing within the village are seeing a greater increase compared to town residents outside the village because the town is absorbing some services that the village previously handled.

This also does not include county taxes, or village taxes, the latter of which is only paid by property owners within village limits. The village budget is adopted in the spring each year.

There are no raises for the town board from last year’s budget, with the supervisor continuing to earn $14,000 annually, each council member of the board earning $5,000, with an additional $2,500 paid to the deputy supervisor.

The town justice’s salary increased to $26,780 from $25,750 last year, a raise of $1,030 or 4%. The town clerk’s salary increased to $46,750 from $44,500 last year, a raise of $2,250, or about 5%. The town highway superintendent’s salary increased to $69,862 from $67,175 last year, a raise of $2,687, or 4%.

The fire protection agreement will begin on Jan. 1, 2026, and remain in effect until Dec. 30, 2030, with a possible 90-day extension in the event that the two governments are unable to come to a new agreement by then. It calls for the town to make an annual payment to the village, in exchange for the Tupper Lake Volunteer Fire Department to provide fire protection townwide.

The annual payments are to be made in one lump sum on or before Feb. 1 each year. The agreement calls for the town to pay the village $210,907 for 2026, the same total as last year. That will increase to $217,235 for 2027, an increase of $6,328, or 3%. The annual payment will remain fixed for 2028 before increasing to $223,751 for 2029, an increase of $6,516, or 3%. The annual payment will remain fixed for 2030.