Town tightens budget belt

The town of Saratoga’s sales tax is down 16 percent from last year meaning revenue this fiscal year may also be down.

The sales tax accounts for about 80 percent of the town’s revenue, said Town Treasurer Joe Elder. The decrease in sales tax has shown in the town’s budget.

The Saratoga Town Council passed an ordinance May 21 to “provide the necessary income to finance the 2013/2014 fiscal year budget on first reading.”

Last year, the town had $2.7 million in revenue for its budget. This year, the town may have $2.4 million to allocate to different departments.

Elder said the sales tax revenue...