Adopted Stephentown Budget Has Tax Levy Increase Of 3.91%
by David Flint
The Stephentown Town Board at their meeting on Monday November 16 adopted a budget for 2016 that calls for a tax levy increase of 3.91%. [private]Prior to adopting the budget the Board passed a Town law that authorized overriding the State 2% tax cap that for Stephentown would actually be 0.9%.
At a public hearing last month, Town Supervisor Larry Eckhardt explained that while residents might be rewarded with a refund of a few dollars from the State if the Town kept the tax increase below 0.9%, it really “does not make any sense” to do that. He pointed out that the Town’s revenue streams are very minimal, and expected in 2016 to be slightly less than this year. Uncontrolled expenses keep going up and up, he said. Where would the Town get the funds to make up a 17% hike in health insurance alone, not to speak of continual increases in costs for utilities, fuel, road materials and repairs to equipment? The only way they could do it is to take more money out of savings or reduce support for the Library, for Seniors, for the youth program. But then where would the money come from the following year and the year after that?
The budget projects spending of $1,383,760, an increase of about $4,000 or 0.3%. One major reduction over the current year is in State Retirement funding. While still up considerably over previous years, it is down by 50% over the current year when there was a very large one-time catch-up payment required.
There is again in this budget no change in compensation for the Town Supervisor and Town Board members. Most other appointed positions will receive a 2% raise.
In order to keep the levy increase below 4%, which was its goal, the Board elected to use $23,000 from the unexpended fund balance. That is considerably less than the current budget for which $46,000 was taken from savings, mainly to cover the exceptional Retirement expense.
The Library will receive $44,222, a 1% increase. The Seniors also get a 1% raise to $11,819. The Veterans will get an additional $1,000 to help with maintenance of the Veterans Park, for a total of $2,500. Contributions to the youth program and the Historical Society remain the same as in the current budget, $17,000 and $6,000 respectively.
Still Mulling Over Trash Removal
The Town’s contract with the Eastern Rensselaer County Solid Waste Management Authority (ERCSWMA) expired at the end of October. The arrangement with the Authority has been extended temporarily. The Town Board has spoken a number of times about possibly pulling out of ERCSWMA to save money. Now apparently they are having second thoughts about that. Councilman Bill Jennings, appointed at this meeting to represent the Town on the ERCSWMA Board, will attend a meeting of that Board next month. Jennings said that after much research it is not clear that the Town has any other viable option than to stay with ERCSWMA. The companies that do the hauling are not eager, he said, to deal with individual towns. They would rather deal with them as members of ERCSWMA. Prices contracted with individual towns could be considerably higher. He said that there are other issues too that, if resolved, could make it more attractive for Stephentown, and possibly less expensive, to stay with the Authority. The Town will want to see how these issues are resolved before making any final decision.
Energy Efficient Lighting
Eckhardt reported that the Board will be seeking quotes on replacing lighting fixtures at the Town Hall, the Transfer Station and the Town Garage. He said they are looking for energy reduction and better lighting. The older fluorescent lighting fixtures, he said, are expensive to run and require a lot of maintenance, whereas LED lighting uses less energy and can be good for 80,000 hours.
Councilman Jennings described the lighting at both the Town Garage and the Transfer Station as terrible. He noted that changing to LED lighting at the Fire Station has made a world of difference. The company that did that work is one that will be asked for quotes.
No To The Pipeline Company
Eckhardt and Highway Superintendent Aldie Goodermote met recently with representatives of Tennessee Gas, the subsidiary of Kinder Morgan. The fracked gas pipeline people wanted to known which town roads they could just cut through and which ones they would have to go to the expense of boring underneath. Eckhardt said they told the pipeline people that, if they get approval for this pipeline, none of the roads could be cut; they would have to bore underneath any town roads that they need to cross.
Eckhardt said the Town currently has no permitting process for this sort of thing. Goodermote has researched this and has provided the Board with a sample procedure from the County. The Board will discuss and possibly act on this next month.
Resolutions
The Board passed the following resolutions:
• The Town Clerk is authorized to advertise for all appointed positions that are expiring or vacant at the end of the year. Deadline for responding is Friday, December 11.
• The Town Clerk is authorized to advertise for the position of Town Hall Cleaner. Resumes and letters of interest are due to the Town Clerk by Friday, December 11.
• The Town Clerk is authorized to advertise for bids to provide materials for construction and maintenance of Town roads. Bid specs will be available at the Town Clerk’s Office beginning November 20 and bids are due to the Town Clerk’s Office by Friday, December 11.
• The Town Clerk is authorized to advertise for the 2016 Organizational Meeting to be held on Monday, January 4 at 7 pm.
• The Board accepted the single bid received for snowplowing at the Transfer Station and Town Hall including shoveling and salting sidewalks. The bid was awarded to Terry Sykes to plow at the Transfer Station for $135 and for plowing, shoveling and salting at the Town Hall for $60.
Deposits & Spending
The Town Clerk turned over the sum of $1,029.67 to the Supervisor for the month of October. The Transfer Station deposited a total of $6,875.
The Board audited and approved claims in the amount of $10,022.88 from the General Account and $23,860.20 from the Highway Account.
The Board set its next workshop meeting for Monday, December 14, its next regular meeting for Monday, December 21, the Reconciliation meeting for Monday, December 28 and the Organizational Meeting for Monday, January 4, 2016, all meetings to start at 7 pm.[/private]