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Taghkanic approves $1.5M budget
Tax levy increases, rate decreases
By Molly Salisbury
Hudson-Catskill Newspapers
TAGHKANIC — The town council passed the 2010 budget on Tuesday evening with four of the five town board members — one was not in attendance — voting for the 5.3 percent tax levy increase.
Residents, however, will see their tax rate go down to $1.28 per $1,000 of assessed property value from $1.78 per $1,000.
The decrease in tax is due to the increase in property assessments. Taghkanic residents paid $2.00 per $1,000 in 2008 and $2.38 per $1,000 in 2007.
But the 5.3 percent increase is not as low as Supervisor Betty Young had hoped.
“I like it at 3 percent, but this is a bare bones budget,” said.
The budget lays out $1.5 million in appropriations, with total tax revenue coming in at $785,489. The board started with numbers that foretold a 13 percent increase – this is including 3 percent raises for all officials and department wish lists honored in full.
In the end, most officials and both justice clerks are doing without the salary increase. Two elected officials, the town clerk and the highway superintendant, both full-time positions, did receive 3 percent raises.
Attorney fees were optimisitcally cut $10,000 in hopes of less activity in that area. The Article 78 case filed by the Granger Group and other Taghkanic residents against the Town and the Wilzigs, which seeks to invalidate the town planning board’s and zoning board’s affirmative decisions regarding Alan Wilzig’s proposed and partially built racetrack, is still awaiting a final decision. Allocations for attorney fees still amounted to $20,000.
The town hall is overtly musty these days, and $1,000 was added for a new rug — or whatever it will take to “get rid of the smell,” recommended councilman Tony LaSalvia. The Highway garage needs a new heater, which accounts for an added $6,000, the most significant addition to the budget.
The 2010 budget does not allocate for the necessary salt shed, but during the Nov. 4 town board meeting the board tentatively agreed to take out a bond — not to be paid on until 2011 — for the mandated and overdue shed. The site plan is as of yet undecided, and money is the issue.
Some revenues have taken a hit, and others are holding even or increasing. The mortgage tax is down $20,000, due to fewer homes purchased, but the sales tax profits are holding steady for the whole county.
A huge source of revenue for Taghkanic is a line item named “Fines & Forfeiture.” Taghkanic is bisected by the Taconic Parkway, and receives monies from the speeding tickets issued along its stretch of the road. The town brings over $100,000 a year through careless speeders, and is hoping to bring in $135,000 in 2010.
Young remembers when she first became supervisor, other supervisors would joke, “If we could only have one-fourth of what you get (of the speeding ticket revenue) we’d be set for the year.”
Young said that the town has always had a good rapport with the troopers. She hopes to see more travel up the Taconic as the economy makes its apparent turnaround.
The budget process took longer than in previous years. Young admits the process “was bumpier than usual.” She credited the bumpiness to the election stresses.
Usually the budget is finalized at the November town board meeting, but at this year’s Nov. 4 meeting, further budgetary changes were made, and the public hearing and budget finalization was slated for continuation on Nov. 10.
Residents, however, will see their tax rate go down to $1.28 per $1,000 of assessed property value from $1.78 per $1,000.
The decrease in tax is due to the increase in property assessments. Taghkanic residents paid $2.00 per $1,000 in 2008 and $2.38 per $1,000 in 2007.
But the 5.3 percent increase is not as low as Supervisor Betty Young had hoped.
“I like it at 3 percent, but this is a bare bones budget,” said.
The budget lays out $1.5 million in appropriations, with total tax revenue coming in at $785,489. The board started with numbers that foretold a 13 percent increase – this is including 3 percent raises for all officials and department wish lists honored in full.
In the end, most officials and both justice clerks are doing without the salary increase. Two elected officials, the town clerk and the highway superintendant, both full-time positions, did receive 3 percent raises.
Attorney fees were optimisitcally cut $10,000 in hopes of less activity in that area. The Article 78 case filed by the Granger Group and other Taghkanic residents against the Town and the Wilzigs, which seeks to invalidate the town planning board’s and zoning board’s affirmative decisions regarding Alan Wilzig’s proposed and partially built racetrack, is still awaiting a final decision. Allocations for attorney fees still amounted to $20,000.
The town hall is overtly musty these days, and $1,000 was added for a new rug — or whatever it will take to “get rid of the smell,” recommended councilman Tony LaSalvia. The Highway garage needs a new heater, which accounts for an added $6,000, the most significant addition to the budget.
The 2010 budget does not allocate for the necessary salt shed, but during the Nov. 4 town board meeting the board tentatively agreed to take out a bond — not to be paid on until 2011 — for the mandated and overdue shed. The site plan is as of yet undecided, and money is the issue.
Some revenues have taken a hit, and others are holding even or increasing. The mortgage tax is down $20,000, due to fewer homes purchased, but the sales tax profits are holding steady for the whole county.
A huge source of revenue for Taghkanic is a line item named “Fines & Forfeiture.” Taghkanic is bisected by the Taconic Parkway, and receives monies from the speeding tickets issued along its stretch of the road. The town brings over $100,000 a year through careless speeders, and is hoping to bring in $135,000 in 2010.
Young remembers when she first became supervisor, other supervisors would joke, “If we could only have one-fourth of what you get (of the speeding ticket revenue) we’d be set for the year.”
Young said that the town has always had a good rapport with the troopers. She hopes to see more travel up the Taconic as the economy makes its apparent turnaround.
The budget process took longer than in previous years. Young admits the process “was bumpier than usual.” She credited the bumpiness to the election stresses.
Usually the budget is finalized at the November town board meeting, but at this year’s Nov. 4 meeting, further budgetary changes were made, and the public hearing and budget finalization was slated for continuation on Nov. 10.
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