Proposed village budget focus of public hearing

Village trustees have scheduled a Monday, April 5, public hearing on a proposed $2.42 million budget carrying a 0.55 percent spending decrease of $13,393.

The session is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. through a video conference platform with access available on the village web site at https://villagesaugerties.digitaltowpath.org under calender of events.

Under the spending plan, there would be a $1.79 million property tax levy representing a 3.06 percent increase of $53,349. Included in the budget is $125,000 in revenue from the recently approved federal COVID-19 aid package.

“We’re going to get a lot more than $125,000,” Mayor Bill Murphy said. “It’s only half ... because you can’t use it to balance the budget, so we had to use a conservative portion of it.”

The aid is part of the $2.09 million allocated to the town and includes an unspecified amount for the village. However, calculations for the distribution were not immediately available.

Changes in the budget include:

• Street maintenance at

$901,631 for a 14.54 percent increase of $29,774.

• Employee benefits at $285,000 for a 5 percent decrease of $15,000.

• Building costs at $210,828 for a 6 percent increase of $11,928.

• Code enforcement at $134,537 for a 0.28 percent increase of $375.

• State retirement at $130,000 for a 3.7 decrease of $5,000.

• Fire Department expenses at $117,390 for a 3.54 percent increase of $1,520.

• State road maintenance aid at $73,000 for a 35.19 percent increase of $19,000.

• Parks at $68,000 for a 6.25 percent increase of $4,000.

• Sales tax revenue at $67,000 for an 8.06 percent increase of $5,000.

• Court fines at $50,000 for a 28.57 percent decrease of $20,000.

• Parking meters at $46,000 for a 4.55 percent increase of $2,000.

• Franchise fees at $44,000 for a 10 percent increase of $4,000.