The Deerpark Town Board unanimously passed a 2012 preliminary budget which falls below the state’s mandated 2% tax levy cap. The combined general and highway fund levy increase from 2011 to 2012 amounts to 1.69%. New York State has imposed a 2% tax levy cap for all municipalities and school districts throughout the state. The town board has pledged that they will not override the tax levy cap and will work to keep taxes stable.
Many challenges were faced with putting together this year’s budget. Mortgage tax revenue and state aid continue to decline and other revenue streams like sales and real property tax remain steady. The value of the town’s taxable property has decreased almost $2 million dollars from 2010 putting a further strain on town revenues compounded with the effects of the bad economy. Health care costs and retirement contributions continue to rise at record rates and adding to an already difficult situation, the town was hit by two major tropical storms which have wreaked havoc to the town’s infrastructure.
The proposed budget calls for an additional $100,000 from 2011 to pave and repair town roads. It also calls for an addition $95,000 from the 2011 budget to buy new and fix and repair various highway department equipment. In addition, the town board has started to move employees from NYSHIP to the MVP Health Plan and the AARP Medicare Plan which will save taxpayers close to $100,000 annually. Last year, the board did a restructure of operations, moving some positions from full time to part time and contracting out the Assessor’s Office to Orange County, which combined achieved over $200,000 in annual cost savings for the town. We have put in money for another bulk clean up in the spring months. The board has also continually searched for creative ways to make additional revenue for the town, such as renting town property for a cell phone tower, which will bring in an extra $12,000 annually over the next 20 years. It also provides for small salary adjustments for our employees, who have not received any increase in salary in three years.
Also as a point of clarification and to stop any rumors, salaries for the positions of Supervisor, Town Clerk, and Highway Superintendent are being adjusted by $2,000 for each position. These salaries have also stayed the same for the past three years. These three individuals work tirelessly for the town residents each and everyday to make sure operations run smoothly and efficiently. The Supervisor’s salary is going from an annual salary of $31,381 to $33,381, Town Clerk from $37,403 to $39,403, and Highway Superintendent from $48,867 to $50,867.
The preliminary budget is currently being reviewed by the New York State Comptroller’s Office and they will be forwarding a report to the board to recommend any further changes. The town board will be scheduling a public hearing on the budget in the beginning of November and expect to adopt a final budget at that time as well. It is critical that we keep taxes stable during these hard economic times. Over the past two years, we have restructured town operations to achieve cost savings and optimal efficiency in operations and have put additional money into our reserve accounts for future planning. The Town Board members and I will be fiscally conservative and will continue to look for and implement cost saving opportunities. A copy of the preliminary budget can be requested at the town clerk’s office or is available online at www.townofdeerpark.org.
STORM RECOVERY UPDATE:
Town officials and I are working very hard to restore our town to pre-storm conditions. Tropical Storm Irene and Lee were consider major 500 year storms that reeked havoc not only to our town but to the entire Hudson Valley. After an assessment of the damage, the town sustained about $6,000,000 worth of infrastructure damage between the two storms. We are currently having preliminary meetings with FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to apply for grant funding to repair the damage. Some roads and bridges will take longer than others to repair due to the extent of the damage, so I ask that everyone be patient as we are working as fast as possible to fix these problems. FEMA will give us a scope of each project and we will have to then repair it to those specifications. If we do any additional work not authorized by FEMA, the taxpayers could be liable for the bill, so we are all being VERY CAREFUL on this whole process. I want to commend our Highway Department, Police, and Emergency Management officials for their hard work during and after the storms. We will also be having meetings in the future to discuss our Hazard Mitigation Plan and FEMA assistance in general. You as an individual homeowner may qualify for a FEMA Individual Assistance Grant if you sustained damage during the storm.
All residents and small businesses who have suffered losses should call FEMA’s registration number at 1-800-621-3362, or register online at http://www.DisasterAssistance.gov.
CUDDEBACKVILLE 209 BRIDGE REPLACEMENT:
We have been informed by the NYS Department of Transportation that they will be starting work on the new Cuddebackville 209 Bridge sometime next year, we an anticipated completion date in 2013. The old bridge is in bad shape and needed further weight restrictions to avoid any more problems. This is the reason why it has been reduced to a one lane bridge with a traffic light on both sides. It is anticipated this modification will remain until the new bridge is operational. Please plan accordingly and adjust for time when having to cross the bridge.
That is all for this month and until next time, I send you health and happiness and wish you a great Halloween!
KARL A. BRABENEC, MPA
Deerpark Town Supervisor,
Budget Officer & Police Commissioner
420 US Route 209 – PO Box 621
Huguenot, New York 12746
Office Phone – 845-856-2210, Ext. 1
Office Cell Phone – 845-321-7005
Office Fax – 845-856-0935
E-mail – kbrabenec@townofdeerpark.org
www.townofdeerpark.org
