Popular Searches
Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
Share
Ghent budget: spending down, taxes up, slightly
by Bob Green
For Hudson-Catskill Newspapers
GHENT- Following a public hearing with no comments, the 2010 Budget was approved by the Town Board at its November meeting. Supervisor Larry Andrews described it as “a just and fair budget,” with overall spending “down around 3 percent, by about $60,000,” he said, to $1,881,366.
But due to several bearish assumptions about the coming year, the amount to be raised by taxes will increase by $13,293 to $515,733, an increase of 2.6 percent. “We have been very conservative,” Andrews said, in regards to estimating mortgage and revenue tax receipts for the coming year. The town will also dip less into reserves than last year, with a drop of $26,000 in the expected use of unexpended fund balances.
Findings by the Board of Assessment Review in the past year mean that total assessed value in the town has declined, Andrews said, so all factors taken together mean tax rates for residents outside the village are set to rise somewhat. While Village residents’ tax rate remains flat at .39 per $1,000 of assessed value, those outside the village will see a rise from .94 to .98, he said. That is about a 4 percent increase.
That still ranks Ghent as “one of the lowest in the county” in terms of tax rate, said Andrews.
Board member Larry Van Brunt noted that the Supervisor and Board took “no increases” in compensation this year, though 3 percent raises were granted to employees at the Highway Department and Justice Court. Councilwoman Linda Schlegel-Hess said she was grateful for “improvements” to town recreational facilities in spite of the tight finances, and Board member Matt Torrey said he “wanted to publicly thank Larry (Andrews) for his work on the budget,” and for always looking at more ways to save money.
The town is in the late stages of constructing a new highway garage but that doesn’t appear to have affected the 2010 numbers. According to Town Attorney Ted Guterman, “the Board had the foresight to reserve for the garage, so no appropriation is required now. We have saved a lot.”
Earlier Guterman acknowledged the role Councilman Peter Nelson has played in managing the garage project, saying the town had saved “thirty to forty thousand, compared to having (to hire) a construction manager.”
Guterman also gave an update on the proposal by Camp Hill Village to develop an “aging in place community” under the town’s “Planned Residential District” (PRD) law, meaning a special permit would need to be granted. He said the Planning Board had engaged Nan Stolzenburg, a consultant who worked on the town’s comprehensive plan, to ensure that the project “fits in with the surroundings.”
“This is the one chance to get it right. Once it goes in, this will be the nature of the area.” Guterman said.
But due to several bearish assumptions about the coming year, the amount to be raised by taxes will increase by $13,293 to $515,733, an increase of 2.6 percent. “We have been very conservative,” Andrews said, in regards to estimating mortgage and revenue tax receipts for the coming year. The town will also dip less into reserves than last year, with a drop of $26,000 in the expected use of unexpended fund balances.
Findings by the Board of Assessment Review in the past year mean that total assessed value in the town has declined, Andrews said, so all factors taken together mean tax rates for residents outside the village are set to rise somewhat. While Village residents’ tax rate remains flat at .39 per $1,000 of assessed value, those outside the village will see a rise from .94 to .98, he said. That is about a 4 percent increase.
That still ranks Ghent as “one of the lowest in the county” in terms of tax rate, said Andrews.
Board member Larry Van Brunt noted that the Supervisor and Board took “no increases” in compensation this year, though 3 percent raises were granted to employees at the Highway Department and Justice Court. Councilwoman Linda Schlegel-Hess said she was grateful for “improvements” to town recreational facilities in spite of the tight finances, and Board member Matt Torrey said he “wanted to publicly thank Larry (Andrews) for his work on the budget,” and for always looking at more ways to save money.
The town is in the late stages of constructing a new highway garage but that doesn’t appear to have affected the 2010 numbers. According to Town Attorney Ted Guterman, “the Board had the foresight to reserve for the garage, so no appropriation is required now. We have saved a lot.”
Earlier Guterman acknowledged the role Councilman Peter Nelson has played in managing the garage project, saying the town had saved “thirty to forty thousand, compared to having (to hire) a construction manager.”
Guterman also gave an update on the proposal by Camp Hill Village to develop an “aging in place community” under the town’s “Planned Residential District” (PRD) law, meaning a special permit would need to be granted. He said the Planning Board had engaged Nan Stolzenburg, a consultant who worked on the town’s comprehensive plan, to ensure that the project “fits in with the surroundings.”
“This is the one chance to get it right. Once it goes in, this will be the nature of the area.” Guterman said.
Share this Article
 |
 |
|
| Energizing teachers is key | Columbia Land Conservancy opens 8th public conservation area |
Article Rating
Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of registerstar.com.
You must register with a valid email to post comments. Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Registered users sign in here: |
Become a Registered User |
