The budget proposal, as it now stands, will contain a 5.41% tax hike, that in real dollars translates to an increase of 81 cents per thousand dollar of assessed valuation.
One of the biggest changes in this next year’s spending plan is moving $4,000 from personal services in the Youth commission to the contractual side. The current Youth Commissioner, Tammy Osterhout, has indicated she will not be able to fill that position next summer, and the town is looking into a shared services program with other towns in the county.
Berlin will also see some savings in the annual contribution it makes to the NYS Retirement system. That mandated cost has been decreased in 2018 by the State Comptroller’s Office.
The proposal also includes a raise for Town Highway Superintendent Jim Winn, in particular because the Board feels it needs to keep his rate of compensation higher than those employees who work for him. They also praised Winn for the work he and his department do on a daily basis, noting it feels Berlin town roads are the best in the eastern portion of the county.
The Board plans another workshop on the budget before it is presented at a public hearing. That is slated to be held Thursday, November 9 at 6:45 pm at the Town Hall. Just prior to that, the Board has scheduled a public hearing on overriding the tax cap if necessary. That will begin at 6:30 pm.