Your Town Wide General fund tax rate dropped .4% over last year.  After the economic reversal and inflation we lived through in 2022, your Town has remained fiscally responsible through these difficult times.

We finished 2022 with a surplus and our tax rates for 2023 reflect decreases in some funds and modest increases in others. The Town could not avoid the nationwide and regional jumps in energy costs, road salt, and health insurance. However, we were able to cut and maintain costs in other areas.

Let’s put this all in perspective: if your home is assessed for $250,000 your Town taxes for operating and highway funds in 2016 would have been $1,402 and in 2023, they would be $1,123.

NOTE: We have many special districts in the Town. These special districts such as lighting, sewer, water, fire, Adelaar (Casino/Waterpark), etc. only are billed to the properties served by the district.

Your taxes have dropped 20% or $279 over 8 years!

We have accomplished these reductions while:

  • Increasing services
  • Building better roads
  • Renewing our fleet of trucks and service vehicles. EVERY plow truck has been replaced!
  • Completed phase one of digitizing a room full of records. The goal is to free up valuable space and move toward a more efficient, paperless Town
  • Completely upgrading our original park, now called East Mongaup Park – adding everything from paved walkways to a relaxing riverside pergola and Adirondack chairs
  • Building two new parks, Lake Ida Park on Adams Road in Rock Hill and the Neversink River Access Park in Bridgeville
  • Investing heavily in family and youth activities like never before…we hosted over a dozen events and programs in 2022 – and the 2023 winter lineup is already packed with everything from a guided snowshoe event to an indoor youth basketball league
  • Embarking on the most ambitious upgrades to our sewer treatment plants since the mid-1970s! We have secured $35,000,000 in grants and up to $25,000,000 in zero-interest loans to make it happen.
  • Creating a vibrant Route 42 business district which is attracting national tenants such as Old Navy, Marshalls, and Hampton Inn with even more coming
  • Maintaining a pleasant work environment with great employees who are paid fair wages
  • Converting all street lights to LED for better visibility and pedestrian and vehicular safety
  • We have not borrowed any money in over 9 years except for special districts such as sewer and water. Our funds are well managed and we pay as we go!

The Town of Thompson is always moving forward, improving and providing quality public service. We do this with sensitivity to cost and to the people we serve. We consistently seize any opportunity to make Thompson a better place to live, work, and visit. Your Town Board and I thank you for the opportunity to serve you.

Always, Thompson Forward!

William J. Rieber, Jr., | Town of Thompson Supervisor