by Alex Brooks
Petersburgh held a public hearing on its 2015 budget on Monday, October 20. The budget presented will stay under the state imposed tax cap, which this year is about 1.2%. The tax levy will be a little over $9,000 higher than last year.
General Fund appropriations are up by a hefty $34,500 over last year, but that is offset by an increase in General Fund revenues of about $15,000. Highway appropriations are reduced by $21,200 from this year to next.
[private]You math whizzes have probably already noticed that these numbers should result in a reduction in the tax levy rather than an increase. The increase comes from the other funds. The lighting districts have had a fund balance for many years and have been paid from the unexpended fund balance. Last year one of the light districts applied $1,000, and the other applied $4,000. This year no fund balances are applied in any of the funds, except for $500 in the library fund so the levy for the lighting districts is $5,000 higher. Also, the levy for the library is up by $3,100, and the levy for the Fire District is up by $1,300.
The Town Clerk’s salary was raised from $12,130 to $15,000, and the money allotted to her assistant was raised from $1,500 to $4,500. The money for the Supervisor’s Secretary was doubled from $1,500 to $3,000. But all of these secretarial increases were offset by the elimination of the Town Secretary position, which was budgeted last year at $8,700.
The Town Supervisor’s salary has been restored to what it was in 2013 – $10,000. Supervisor Siegfried Krahforst reduced it by $1,000 last year because of the budget crisis.
A Constable has been added to the Justices’ budget, which adds $1,000.
The Assessor’s budget is about $5,000 higher because that office is engaged in a revaluation this year and the extra money is used for data collection needed for the reval.
The capital budget for the buildings is increased by $13,500. Krahforst said he has a list of projects he hopes to get done this year. Highlights of it are to install a heat pump, often referred to as a “split,” in the Town offices to save money on heating, finishing the improvements to the downstairs of the Town Hall and making improvements to the driveway/parking lot around the Town Buildings.
The contract expense for the buildings, which pays for heat, electricity and the like, is up by about $7,000, as Krahforst said it was unrealistically low last year.
The solar panels are expected to provide some savings in this area, but those are not written into the budget until it is known what those savings will be.
Building Inspector Martin Conboy’s salary was increased from $7,500 to $9,600.
The budgets for the seniors and the youth program have been restored to what they were before last year’s budget cuts.
The Planning Board’s budget was increased by $1,000 from $2,000 this year to $3,000 next year, and the cemetery mowing budget was reduced by $1,000 from $3,500 to $2,500.
The cost of Refuse & Garbage was reduced by $4,900, most of which was the reduction in rent for the Berlin Transfer Station.
Revenue
Interest and Penalties on Real Property tax is $2,000 higher because this revenue has increased lately. Apparently people are paying their taxes late and incurring penalties and interest. Revenue from garbage fees is increased from $29,000 to $40,000, because the revenue has been much higher this year. No one could explain why.
Revenue from the mortgage tax is anticipated to increase by $3,000, apparently because the real estate market is reviving and more people are taking out mortgages.
In the highway fund, contract expense for general repairs was reduced from $30,000 to $20,000, and the personal services line under snow removal was reduced by $4,192. State retirement contributions are anticipated to be $2,600 lower, and medical insurance is reduced by $2,950 because some of the highway workers at present don’t need insurance. This is a wild card, since the personnel of the highway crew is in flux.
Supervisor Krahforst said the Town’s cash flow situation has improved quite a bit this year. The Town was reimbursed for the expense of taking down the old Jones Garage, and revenue has increased in several areas. The Town has not spent what was anticipated in some areas, so they are anticipating a surplus at the end of the year. Town Bookkeeper Charles Guntner noted that this is the first year in which there are no significant fund balances being applied to offset the levy, so this budget is sustainable, not subsidized by surpluses from previous years.[/private]