Board OKs $12.8M town budget for 2019

The Town Board has adopted a $12.8 million budget for 2019 that will increase spending by just 0.5 percent from the 2018 level.

The budget requires a $10.2 million property tax levy, which is 1.9 percent more than the this year’s amount. The levy is $273,046 below the state’s cap for Saugerties.

Town Supervisor Fred Costello said the most significant spending increase in the budget is in the area of employee benefits.

“The spending increase year over year was relatively modest,” he said. “Some of that increase is reflected for increases in things like health care and other things that are somewhat beyond our control.”

Employee benefits for 2019 have been budgeted at $1.52 million, up 2.8 percent from this year.

Salaries in 2019 for elected officials, all unchanged from 2018, will be $67,626 for the highway superintendent, $43,000 for the town clerk, $37,000 for the supervisor, $29.097.50 for each of the two town justices, and $11,000 for each of the four members of the Town Board.

The 2019 budget also includes:

• $2.6 million for the police department, up 1.6 percent from 2018.

• $1.9 million for road maintenance, up 3.3 percent.

• $1.1 million for employee retirement expenses, down 3.6 percent.

• $972,000 for buildings and grounds, virtually unchanged.

• $303,000 for highway machinery, down 41.3 percent.

• $286,000 for snow removal, up 0.9 percent.

• $109,5000 for youth programs, down 1.8 percent.