Speed Limits, Volunteers And Taxes Top The Night
by Thaddeus Flint
Taxes will go up–but not by very much—in Stephentown. Speed limits should probably go down, and the number of emergency service volunteers should go up—but probably won’t– it was heard at dual public hearings on the 2019 budget and the Town’s Comprehensive Plan held Monday, October 22.
The percent change to the Town’s tax levy will be 3.28%, and the total with the Fire District will be 2.8%, which was right around Supervisor Larry Eckhart’s guess of “three point something or other” at the October Town Board meeting. The amount to be raised by taxes for both will go up $23,470 from $975,081 to just over the million mark at $1,001,551. Unexpended fund balances used will be $5,000 for the General Fund, and $10,000 for the Highway budget, which itself is increasing .4%.
Those following the legal bill scores from home will most likely be puzzled that the Attorney budget of $12,500 for 2018 will remain the same for 2019. Why this might be perplexing is that the Town’s 2018 legal budget is now over budget by 639.6% or $56,838. Supervisor Eckhart had said the Town “would plan for the worst and hope for the best,” so based on that it would appear Stephentown hopes the worst is now over when it comes to legal problems. We shall see.
Stephentown’s comprehensive plan has been in the planning stage since mid-2015. That plan is now more or less complete and has been provided to the Board and the public for their comments. At 91 pages long, it is indeed comprehensive.
Resident Janet Atwater brought up the point about speed limits, especially around the State Routes 22 & 43 junction. “We are a farming community,” noted Atwater, and yet farmers trying to get around Town with their lumbering farm equipment are finding themselves routinely plagued by drivers who feel they are on an interstate instead of a country road. The Comprehensive Plan addresses road diets, speed changes, and also includes the idea of having the traffic light at 22 & 43 replaced with a roundabout, noting that the traffic light there is sometimes treated “as if it were a stop sign,” with some drivers stopping only for moment at a red signal, and some not at all. The roundabout—which is seen as oval shaped due to the angles of the roads there—would slow traffic, eliminate the traffic light which some people can’t seem to understand anyway, and even reduce air pollution “by greatly reducing wait idling times,” says the Plan.
“We need help,” said Fire Commissioner Rick McClave, when Supervisor Eckhart asked him about emergency services in the Comprehensive Plan. “Over the past 40 years, the Stephentown Volunteer Fire Department has seen a steady decline in membership. At one time members numbered in excess of 100 with about 50% considered active. Major fires were typically attended by 40 or more firefighters. Today, membership is listed at 50 members with approximately 45% considered to be active firefighters, and of those active members there are 18 interior qualified firefighters,” says the Plan. And it’s not just Stephentown, “almost every fire company in the State of New York is in need of help,” said McClave. And that help is unlikely to reappear. Increased required training hours, long hours at calls, and “we are far busier than we used to be and people are less likely to volunteer” are making it a challenge to keep the Fire Department adequately staffed.
The solution? “The solution isn’t there,” said Councilman Bill Jennings, “because we don’t have one.”
Both the Comprehensive Plan and the 2019 Budget can be found online at www.townofstephentown.org and downloaded with links provided from the home page.