TICONDEROGA — Taxpayers in Ticonderoga will see a tax-levy increase of just 2.5 percent if the town's tentative 2010 budget is approved.

That's mostly because Essex County is sharing one-quarter percent of its sales-tax revenue with towns next year, Town Supervisor Robert C. Dedrick said.

"It's a good budget. Without that sales-tax sharing, we'd be looking at huge decreases somewhere."

The town will receive about $160,000 from the county in sales-tax sharing.

The proposed town budget totals $4.94 million without special-district appropriations, from $4.85 million this year.

The tax levy, which is the amount raised by taxes, will be $3.8 million, a 2-percent increase from the current $3.7 million.

The public hearing is at 5 tonight at the Ticonderoga Community Building.

The tax rate in Ticonderoga, including the Ticonderoga Fire District, would be about $9.56 per $1,000 of assessment; it was $9.38 before. In the Chilson Fire District, the tax rate will be $10.14, up from $9.89 previously.

Fire district budgets are set by a Board of Fire Commissioners and submitted for inclusion in the town budget.

Non-union town employees, including elected officials, will get 3-percent pay raises. By union contract, other workers will receive pay increases of 1⅛ to 3.5 percent. Sewer and Water Department employees will get three-quarter-percent pay hikes.

The cost of health insurance went up 8 percent, Dedrick said. He said the town's State Retirement Fund contribution was up $40,000.

The town lost about $75,000 in mortgage-tax receipts from last year, he said.

The town restored its summer youth program at a cost of $75,000, with $25,000 of that reimbursed by the state.

Next year's youth program will be tuition-fee-based, using the free and reduced-price lunch program schedule that schools use. That means the cost will vary from free to $12.50 or $25 a week. The tuition fees are expected to generate about $16,000.

Annual water and sewer rates will stay at $420 a year for sewer and go from $322 to $328 for water.

The town tax base increased by about $1.6 million, with 20 percent of land in the town classified as tax-exempt.

"We've tried to balance needs of taxpayers with quality-of-life issues in this budget," Dedrick said.

E-mail Lohr McKinstry at: lmckinstry@pressrepublican.com