by David Flint
At their meeting Monday evening, the Stephentown Town Board considered a tentative budget for 2009 that would call for no increase in the tax levy. They failed, however, to adopt it as some changes needed to be made. At a public hearing preceding the meeting, Town Supervisor Tom Sherman noted that the Board entered the budget process this year “without a sense of certainty as to what we can anticipate for revenues and expenditures.” One of the questions they face is the whether sales tax and mortgage tax receipts will continue to decline.
In the face of an estimated 3.8% reduction in revenue for the General Fund, Sherman said the Board had reduced expenditures in the General Fund by 12% and in the Highway Fund by 7.2%. There will be no appointment to the position of Deputy Building Inspector for a savings of $3,300, and the budget also reflects the intent of the Board to contract out the services of the Town Constable and the Town Hall Custodian for an expected savings of $8,059.
Salaries will generally increase by 3% but there are no salary increases for the Town Supervisor or Board Members. The Deputy Supervisor job, which had a salary of $1,425, has been changed to Supervisor Clerk with a proposed salary of $2,400.
The Youth program would receive $41,600, a decrease of $3,050. The library would get $40,691 next year, an increase of $5,891. The Stephentown Seniors will receive $3,000, and the Stephentown Veterans will receive $1,500, both figures the same as this year. The Historical Society will receive $2,300, down $18,700 from last year when there was a one-shot increase of $14,500, and down $4,200 from the year before.
Town Clerk Patricia Gallup pointed out that expenditures in the General Fund budget exceeded revenues by an amount of $2,390, even after $125,000 is applied from the unexpended fund balance. For this reason and because the Board wanted to consider other adjustments, such as restoring $500 for the Building Inspector’s equipment allocation and removing a $125,000 allocation for a new Highway Department mower, the Board voted unanimously to disapprove the budget. Regarding the mower, Sherman said he wanted to look into either a joint venture with other towns or leasing one on a contractual basis. The money would have come from the unexpended fund balance, but Sherman now prefers to leave that balance untapped.
Objections To Removing The Constable
At the public hearing the Board was questioned about doing away with the Constable and the Custodian. Sherman explained that the Board wanted to eliminate where possible positions with salaries and benefits resulting in escalating costs each year. Instead the services will be contracted out. He said he had been consulting with the County Sheriff’s Department about security for the Town Court. The Sheriff suggested some people who could do the job at a very reasonable cost, but the intent is, if possible, to hire someone from the Town. To Town Justice Wes Edwards he said, “I know you are concerned but no way would we not have someone there to protect you and the Court.” Edwards was not convinced, noting that an additional $6,000 was found for the Library, an increase which he did not disapprove, but he did not see that the $4,000 savings was enough to justify removing the Constable. Brian Baker spoke up, too, in defense of the Constable, Hank Wagar, who he said had performed admirably for a number of years. He objected to the possibility of bringing in someone from the outside who doesn’t know the Town and warned that if the contracted person doesn’t show up at Court night, the Justice might well cancel the session at great expense to the Town. Councilman PJ Roder responded that the intent was just to take the position from salaried to contractual and that any qualified person could apply for the job including Hank Wagar.
Win Means suggested that the entire $50,000 allocated as salary for the Highway Superintendent would not be needed for a Deputy Superintendent and might be used to reinstate the Constable position. Sherman responded that a savings in that area might also be used to provide fuel assistance for needy townspersons. Councilman Larry Eckhardt pointed out that the Board was not eliminating the line item for the Constable, just the personal services portion, and it could be reinstated in the future.
Senior Trips Questioned
Jim Higgins questioned the amount of $13,000 allocated for Adult Recreation which subsidizes trips for the Stephentown Seniors. Higgins said that the trips are not free and many seniors cannot afford to go on them even with the subsidies. He suggested the Board consider other ways of allocating this money for seniors that might be more equitable.
In other action at the regular meeting following the public hearing the Board:
ź Accepted a bid from Bader-Lueki Industries, LLC in the amount of $12,905 to repair the metal roof at the Town Garage.
ź Appointed Wyatt Haley to a vacant position on the Board of Assessment Review with term to expire September 30, 2013.
ź Heard a report from Councilman Roder that the Transfer Station will no longer get free pickup of electronics items. The bin will remain for dropping off such items, but the Transfer Station may have to charge a fee in the future.
The Town Clerk reported she had turned over to the Supervisor the sum of $1,213.09 for the month of September. The distribution from the Office of the State Comptroller was $3,325 for the month of August and $2,340 for September. The Board audited and approved claims in the amount of $37,022.17 from the General Account and $36,129.87 from the Highway Account.
The Board set their next regular meeting for Monday, November 17, at 7:30 pm, to be preceded by a public hearing at 7 pm on the proposed local law for tax exemptions for Cold War veterans.