Town adopts $5.77 million budget for 2023

RHINEBECK, N.Y. >> Town Board members have adopted a $5.77 million budget for 2023 carrying a 12.03% increase of $619.505.

The spending plan was approved following a public hearing that did not attract any comments.

Under the spending plan, there would be a $2.06 million property tax levy, representing a 4.53% decrease of $97,537.

Supervisor Elizabeth Spinzia noted that the budget is $228,528 under the state tax levy limit.

“The tax cap was a 2% increase and were under it and delivered a budget that has about $700,000 of capital improvements,” she said.

Salaries in the budget include supervisor at $37,400, for a 10% increase of $3,400; Town Board members at $9,790, for a 10% increase of $890; two justices at $14,476 each, for a 10% increase of $1,316; clerk at $57,111, for a 7% increase of $3,736; highway superintendent at $60,000, for a 6.12% increase of $3,460; and assessor at $46,740, for an 11.66% increase of $4,880.

Changes in the budget include:

• Employee benefits at $542,299 for a 1.93% decrease of $10,700.

• Highway general repairs at $475,169 for a 0.96% increase of $4,500.

• Highway improvements $419,411 for a 4.33% increase of $17,406.

• Highway Department machinery at $432,490 for a 57.56% increase of $158,000.

• Pool at $204,264 for a 19.19% increase at $32,893.

• Cemetery at $167,242 for a 10.12% decrease of $18,825.

• Transportation at $145,536 for an 20.66% decrease of $37,897.

• Transfer station at $145,746 for a 21.16% increase of $25,450.

• Playgrounds $91,306 for a 35.65% decrease of $50,577.

• Youth programs at $97,746 for a 36.44% increase of $26,106.

• Buildings at $81,686 for an 1.78% increase of $1,431.