Draft budget would hike town spending 6.9 percent
Town Board members are reviewing a proposed $3.96 million 2018 budget carrying a 6.94 percent spending increase of $256,841.
At a meeting last week, officials scheduled a 6:45 p.m. Oct. 23 public hearing on the proposed exceeding of the state property tax levy increase limit even though the draft budget would be $2,453 under the cap.
Supervisor Elizabeth Spinzia in a prepared budget message said the draft budget has conservative revenue projections.
“I did allow for an additional $20,000 in projected sales tax revenue as there was a $32,000 increase (in) our 2016 budgeted projection,” she said. “I also increased cemetery and recreation/ youth program revenue because we had more sales and higher participation.”
Under the budget there would be a $2.4 million townwide property tax levy, a 5.32 percent increase of $121,201. The figure does not include special districts that are also used in calculations when determining the state levy limit.
Salaries under the draft budget include supervisor at $26,000 for a 30 percent increase of $6,000; Town Board members at $7,800 each, for a 35.58 percent increase of $2,047; clerk at $48,831, for a 17.23 percent increase of $7,178; highway superintendent at $56,795, for a 2 percent increase of $1,113; justices at $15,600, for a 35.58 percent increase of $4,094.
“This is the first (Town Board) wage increase in 11 years,” Spinzia said. “The town supervisor (salary) was cut in 2008 from $24,000 to $20,000.”
Other changes in the proposed budget include:
• Recreation at $722,163, for a 1.15 percent increase of $8,214.
• Employee benefits at $426,269, for a 2.38 percent increase of $9,959.
• Highway improvements at $245,000, for a 22.5 percent increase of $45,000.
• Snow removal at $221,562, for a 7.83 percent decrease of $18,827.
• Highway Department machinery at $146,969, for a 3.45 percent increase of $4,898.
• Pool expenses at $100,099, for a 6 percent decrease of $6,387.
• Buildings at $70,553, for a 4.82 percent increase of $3,247.