Supervisor Euvrard to give budget presentation tonight

AMENIA — Supervisor Wayne Euvrard is scheduled to give a second state of the town’s budget presentation at tonight’s Town Board meeting, Thursday, Aug. 21, at 7 p.m. at Town Hall.

Euvrard gave a state of the town’s budget at last week’s business meeting, where he revealed budget numbers for the year so far. But the presentation left many feeling confused, hence the repetition.

He said the total town budget is $4,421,485 for this year. The total town budget includes the general budget, the highway budget, the Amenia and Wassaic fire district budgets and the Amenia and Wassaic lighting district budgets.

The general fund budget for this year is $1,552,900 and the general fund revenue is $1,552,900.

The general fund takes care of operations in Town Hall, including the town clerk’s office, the Building and Zoning Department, town courts and the overall running of the town.

However, at last Thursday’s meeting, Euvrard said that since the general fund budget is equivalent to the revenue, the general fund is left with a zero fund balance.

A zero fund balance means that there will be no funds in this portion of the budget by the end of the year.

"That’s because of a zero fund balance that has been put in the budget by [former town Supervisor Janet Reagon’s] administration," Euvrard said at last Thursday’s meeting. "This is an unequivocal error. I talked about this last fall and told everyone to be aware of this. In the past, we have always had a fund balance. This is the first year there has been a zero fund balance."

Back in late October 2007, when the town’s budget for 2008 was being developed by then town Supervisor Reagon, Euvrard said the budget did not comply with state law because it did not show a fund balance. The budget was approved by the Town Board in November 2007.

At last Thursday’s meeting, Councilwoman Vicki Doyle asked Euvrard if the zero fund balance was due to the unexplained missing funds from the Mechanic Street sidewalk project.

"We are still missing $150,000 from the Mechanic Street sidewalk project," Doyle said. "Where did the money go? Either it was misplaced to a different account or it washed over to the next budget. The reality is we should be able to put our hands on $150,000."

Euvrard responded that the money was spent, but he did not know how it was spent.

Doyle then questioned Euvrard about the zero fund balance.

"I think what we need to understand is that the revenues should be the same amount as the expenses," Doyle said. "Why would we raise revenues higher than that? Why would we raise taxes higher to get additional revenues? Your income should match the expenses in any case."

"Now I know why the budget went up 24 percent the first year you were here," Euvrard rebutted.

At the beginning of his talk on the budget, Euvrard said the town was in good shape fiscally. However, Euvrard predicted the town would end the year with a $300,000 deficit.