Pine Plains adopts budget, and it's a tight one

PINE PLAINS — No public comments were made at a hearing held on the municipal budget for 2009 at the Town Board meeting Thursday, Nov. 6. Taking that as a sign of approval, the board closed the public hearing and moved to approve the fiscal plan after discussing whether there were any last-minute changes to the document since the last draft. There were none.

The budget still stands as it did in its preliminary stage, with a 3-percent tax levy increase, which is the best the board could do, according to town Supervisor Gregg Pulver. The final budget figure is $1,456,250, which is $77,320 higher than last year’s budget of $1,378,930.

“It’s as lean and as mean as we can get it,� he said. “We’re obviously aware of the tough economic times. We’re also wary of the county budget in regards to the county sheriff’s coverage and charge backs. And we have to be aware that the state’s budget is in dire straits. I think we’re all right this year. I’m more concerned with next year’s budget for 2010.�

Pulver did not paint a rosy picture for the town’s financial future, which is woven directly into the needs of its Highway Department.

“In the long term the economy looks rough, so we’re keeping an eye on that,� he said. “Hopefully it will be a very mild winter. We’re not banking on it, but it would be nice. It would help us into the 2010 budget immensely if we can get in without much sand and salt and overtime.

“Obviously most of the budget goes toward the highway fund,� Pulver said. “There’s road maintenance and all types of issues.�

Add into the mix the fact that the cost of materials is on the rise. Sand, salt, oil — all of the things needed to maintain roads — contribute to the Highway Department’s expenses.

Then there are other budget line items that run high. In the general fund there’s the recreation line (which went up $5,000 to $62,500) and the library line. The town also has to provide funding for street lighting and sidewalk improvements, which it tries to do annually. If at all possible, it tries to finance those projects through grants, like the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), which awards up to $150,000 to municipalities each year based on a priority list from the county.

“We have a great record of getting grants, but some of those are in jeopardy,� Pulver said.

Then there are the things that always seem to be on the rise: energy costs and employee benefits.

The town is also struggling with its  budget because it’s seeing a downturn on the revenue side, which usually draws in money from mortgage and sales taxes.

“Most of those revenues are going down, although we budgeted for that,� Pulver said, adding that it still puts a dent in the amount of money coming into the town.

Then there’s the matter of salaries, and possible raises. The town is going to provide a 3-percent cost-of-living raise to its employees, but no more. Pulver said the town had to be “frugal� in setting its salary structure.

“We want to be  fair about raises, but those raises are out of taxpayers’ dollars,â€� he said. “I think we have a great record of being fiscally responsible but getting a lot done.â€�

Yet it’s still a hard balance to obtain. The problem that exists when shoring up a budget is that programs and services may suffer.

“It’s just been a really tough year,� the supervisor said. “We’ve basically maintained and added a little to our programs. By next year I’m afraid we may have to look at cutting programs. We’re looking long and hard at these things.�

Pulver said he hopes to have a good sense of next year’s budget in the first quarter of 2009, and will have some rough estimates by the second quarter. By the time September rolls around he will be preparing to create the budget. He said he hopes to be in a better position then than he is now, but he knows that hope may be in vain.

“This is just a tough economic time for everybody, including the town,� he said. “But this is absolutely the toughest budget I’ve ever had to deal with.�