Budget numbers get fleshed out

NORTH EAST — The Town Board resumed its budget talks last Thursday evening, as will continue to be the trend until the final version of the fiscal plan gets adopted.

Until that happens, the distribution of municipal monies will be hashed out by board members. Last week they discussed how tough these financial times are.

“Five-thousand dollars, one way or the other, makes a big difference,� town Supervisor Dave Sherman said. “Generally speaking, the CPI [Consumer Price Index]... we can see how much it has changed from one period to a new period now. I think we’re behaving prudently and conservatively. Unfortunately, there are all sorts of people and some are doing better than others or worse than others in our community.

“I do believe it does behoove us to have some sort of increase in there,� he added. “It’s a sacrifice, but hopefully we can get through 2009.�

“When we look at the economy, people are very lucky to have a job,� town Councilman Dave McGhee said. “Whether you’re in a small town or anywhere. We’re all in the same boat.�

“It’s hard to say,� said town Councilman Dan Briggs. “It’s entirely uncertain.�

McGhee agreed, but added that if a town worker had the chance to earn more elsewhere, he/she should take it.

“I say if anybody can get a better job then they probably should leave,� he said. “Because where are they going to go? I think what we’re trying to do is keep everybody employed and try to give them something.�

Sherman made note that the proposed pay for the town assessor now sits at $22,500, not $25,000, as was reported last week.

“We’re halfway in between,� he said. “Probably the two increases in here will be for the assessor and the highway budget.�

At the start of the budget talks Highway Superintendent Robert Stevens asked for a $60,000 increase to his budget line. Sherman said last week that the town has to “rely more heavily on community development block grants in the future for highway work.� Easy to say, hard to do, as the county doesn’t grant all applicants money on a steady basis. Meanwhile, the supervisor addressed one of Steven’s requests.

“Bob talked about the need to be able to sustain and maintain the level of road work, and I agree, but I don’t know how to do that without a significant tax increase, and now is not the time to burden people,� Sherman said.

“I think we need a longer-term plan for infrastructure,� Briggs said. “The danger is it’s easy to say that every year and as I look at our highways around town I’m seeing a general deterioration.�

Town Councilman Carl Stahovec said the water district is in fairly decent shape, which is good news for the budget.

Sherman did make a point of saying that the town’s intention is to complete work on Morse Hill Road with funds from a block grant.

“We have infrastructure needs in town and we’re burdening taxpayers with as much as they can handle,� he said. “If the board is agreeable to that I’ll let the block grant people know we wish to pursue it in a future application.�

The board made a motion, which passed unanimously, to do so.

Meanwhile, the budget discussions will continue until the town comes to a final figure. As of last Thursday’s meeting, the amount needed to be raised through taxes stood at $1,650,627.