Town Board adopts 2012 budget

PINE PLAINS — The Town Board unanimously adopted the 2012 municipal budget at its monthly meeting on Thursday, Nov. 17, after a swift and concise discussion that entailed a couple of minor changes to the document.The total budget figure tallies at $1,613,5000, which has the town spending about $40,000 more than last year’s budget.“A lot of that is just trying to keep up with things,” said town Supervisor Gregg Pulver during an interview the following day. He then went through a litany of services the town must provide, and therefore finance.There are highway expenses, which rose about $10,000 to cover maintenance on much of the department’s aging equipment (the total projected highway budget line for 2012 amounts to $471,000); there are recreation costs, including an additional $10,000 for programs for the town’s senior citizens at the Heart of Pine Plains Community Center (the total projected recreation budget line for 2012 amounts to $94,000, plus the $10,000 for adult recreation); and then there are the obligatory items like health insurance and retirement that continue to rise year after year. (The projected 2012 budget line for employee benefits alone amounts to $125,000, up from this year’s $97,676.99.)The good news, according to Pulver, is that the town is in a strong position to handle many of the increasing costs.“We’re solvent,” said the outgoing supervisor. Democrat Brian Coons just beat Pulver at the polls, and will be replacing the longtime supervisor come January. “We were fortunate enough to see that 2 percent [state mandated] tax cap coming down the road and prepare for it. It’s going to put some towns in a handicap, those with 0 percent increases like Stanford will have to play catch-up. We, fortunately, are not in that dilemma. My advice to the new board is that they maintain that solvency.”The Town Board has a history of strong fiscal planning and it currently boasts an existing fund balance. That, Pulver said, could be of great assistance when it comes to the relatively new town library, which may need to be taken over by the town.“We do have money if there’s a need to bond the library,” he said. The library was built through a private foundation. “Nobody foresaw the economic downturn and they weren’t able to raise all of the money needed to pay off the library, so the bank is graciously holding the note on it. I’m guessing there will be a shortfall between $1.2 and $1.5 million. The good news is if the town has to take it over, there is money in the budget to bond it for 25 years, and it’s already in there so it will not spike the budget.”Two bonds have recently been retired by the town, making it possible for the board to assist the library: a $200,000 bond for a sidewalk project was retired, as was a $200,000 bond for a highway truck. Another benefit is that interest rates are at the lowest they’ve been, according to Pulver.“In some ways, it’s good news in the midst of all of this bad news,” he said.The changes the Town Board made on Nov. 17 to the budget were twofold. The first dealt with the library; it called for a $1,000 decrease in the town’s contractual line for the library.The second change was to correct a simple error; an amount was written on the wrong budget line. The change was made without any problem.The supervisor did have two recommendations at the board meeting — he called for both the town clerk’s and the highway superintendent’s salaries to be increased. The town clerk currently earns $19,300 a year; Pulver suggested her salary be raised to $21,300 annually. The highway superintendent earns $47,000 a year; it was suggested his salary be raised to $50,000 annually.“There’s plenty of money [in their budget lines to do so],” Pulver said, adding Highway Superintendent Barry Hay is likely the lowest paid highway superintendent in all of Dutchess County.Councilwoman Sandra David raised the board’s previous concern about increasing salaries in today’s financial climate.“We discussed in the past that with the recession that raising salaries might not be [wise],” she said. “[Town Clerk] Judy [Harpp’s] salary hasn’t moved in four years,” said Pulver, adding Hay is making thousands less than his predecessor. Councilman Bob Couse made a motion to accept Pulver’s recommendations. The supervisor then mentioned that his proposed budget meets the 2 percent tax cap status and “provides for a sound financial future” for the town.“That being said, it’s a fairly tight budget,” Pulver said to his colleagues. “Most lines didn’t go up.”The following day he expanded on his thoughts.“We actually have money in the budget to provide for different and new things, if the new board decides to do some of that,” Pulver said. “I think the town is in good shape; now it’s up to them to maintain that.”Back at the meeting, Couse’s motion was seconded and the rest of the board joined in, thus adopting the 2012 town budget.