Catskill Town Board Budget Workshop Meeting I
Catskill Town Hall
October 14, 2008 5:00 pm
Attendance: Peter Markou, Supervisor
Robert Antonelli, Councilman
Lewis O’Connor, Councilman
Patrick Walsh, Councilman
Michael Smith, Councilman
Elizabeth Izzo, Town Clerk
Sandy Misevcis, Town Comptroller
Supervisor Markou opened the workshop session. He began with the General Fund.
The Town Board Appropriations for personal service is $20,969 and Town Board contractual has been reduced by $1,000. What was spent last year was $13,806. Councilman Walsh asked what was spent to date. Sandy did not have the exact amount; however, when asked for a guesstimate, she stated it is around $10,000.
Supervisor Markou asked who would be attending the Association of Towns in 2009. Supervisor Markou and Councilman Smith would consider going. The Town Board decided to reduce contractual to $15,000 from the tentative budget of $20,000.
There was no change to the Town Justice Appropriation.
The Supervisor contractual which was reduced by $2,000, no further change made.
The Administrator appropriation is zero.
The Town Comptroller shows a new senior clerk position. The contractual was reduced $3,000. No further change made.
The Auditor (outside auditor) was not changed. A change had already been made.
The Tax Collector contractual was reduced by $1,500. There was no additional change made.
There was no additional change to the Town Assessor’s contractual. It was reduced $2,000.
There was no additional change to the Town Clerk’s contractual. It was reduced by $5,000.
There was no additional change to the Town Attorney’s salary. It was reduced by $2,000. There was no additional change to outside attorney contractual. It was reduced by $17,500. Supervisor Markou stated that was cutting it close. Councilman Smith wanted to confirm that the Town Attorney is appointed on an annual basis and this is a proposed budget for whomever the Board appointed. Supervisor Markou concurred.
The Human Resource contractual stayed the same.
The Engineering Fees stayed the same. These are used mainly for the Planning Board.
The Elections contractual showed no amount but in the County resolution that the Board just received, included in the college chargeback was an amount for elections. That amount is $16,980. This amount however, is factored into the budget already under the college chargeback. Supervisor Markou stated that at the last meeting, it was suggested that the Board bill the County. Councilman Antonelli stated that we should bill them for something. Councilman O’Connor wanted to know what that would accomplish. Wouldn’t we be billing residents twice? Supervisor Markou stated it has been factored in to chargebacks. Councilman Smith stated that the County does not share sales tax dollars. Councilman Smith stated we should charge them fourteen million dollars that is
being spent on the Courthouse that was a County decision. He believes it was an ill advised expenditure. Councilman Smith wants to charge them back. Supervisor Markou stated he will draft a letter tomorrow.
Town Hall PS account and renovation is at zero.
Town Hall Contractual increased $10,000 with no additional change.
Town Highway Garage increased $10,000 with no additional change. This was the amount submitted by the Highway Superintendent.
Unallocated Ins. Decreased $5,000.
Municipal Association Dues stayed the same as last year.
Computer Equipment decreased by $5,000. Sandy suggested that they may want to take the money from the computer equipment and whatever is left, place it in the reserve account and then there may not be that much needed in the 2009 budget.
Contingency Account increased by $30,000.
Dog control, no change.
Ambulance was increased to reflect the new position created. Councilman O’Connor asked if the revenue has come in that was projected from last year. Sandy stated yes.
Councilman Smith asked in the Highway account, if it included salaries. Supervisor Markou stated yes. Councilman Smith asked if the new Deputy is included. Sandy stated his salary is shown in the DB fund.
Street lighting has a ten percent increase.
Veterans contractual was reduced $1,500. No additional reduction taken.
Senior Citizen Center. Supervisor Markou stated the real change has been in the clubs. There is a $5,625 reduction. No additional reduction taken. Councilman O’Connor inquired how many part time people there are. Supervisor Markou stated there are two part time people; one cleans and the other assists AnnMarie. Councilman O’Connor asked if we needed the cleaner as we have a cleaner for the other Town buildings.
Youth programs was reduced to $75,000. In the past they (Community Center) was given $100,000. Supervisor Markou stated he was approached by an as yet named trustee to the Babe Ruth League and they are requesting $5,000 to pay for the electricity. They approached the Community Center Director. Supervisor Markou stated he has a problem cutting their budget and then having her to do other administrative work. Councilman Antonelli asked if they would be under the Community Center. Kelli Darling stated that was how she was approached. Her Board has yet to know about this as they haven’t had their Board meeting.
Joseph Leggio stated that since Babe Ruth is a private organization, those who want to play should pay. However, with the Community Center, the Town never took care of the youth in the area. He believes the Center can’t do without the support of the Town. He states we should tighten the budget elsewhere and would like to see the same amount budgeted in 2009 as was in 2008.
Councilman Smith stated that the Community Center is starting to become successful. He stated that the Center has the opportunity to come to the second budget workshop and address the issue. He stated the issue is not the Town Board’s support of children, but the economy.
Kelli stated that this is going to be hard. She will have to view their budget with the $25,000 decrease. She stated that they took on the Summer Recreation program, and were happy to do so, and that the 2009 budget for that is the same as this year, even though they are looking at an $8,000 deficit. They asked for the same amount because they knew of the economic hardship.
Councilman Antonelli stated to add the $25,000 back and look at the numbers at the end. He stated the Recreation program was increased, but told Kelli that the grant that we just did cost the Town $10,000. Councilman O’Connor wants to leave it at $75,000. Councilman Smith concurs with Bob.
Joe Izzo stated he had a couple of questions. Under the attorney’s contractual expenses, his understanding is that the Town has not started union contract negotiations. Supervisor Markou stated the Town has started with the Ambulance. He then asked if the union contracts will be finalized by the end of the year. Supervisor Markou stated that is unclear. He is hoping the Ambulance negotiations will be completed, but not the Highway. Mr. Izzo stated the reason he is asking is that if the negotiations go into 2009, the amount budgeted may not be real, there may not be enough money there if the negotiations are extended.
Mr. Izzo stated under computer equipment, if the Board is interested in eliminating that line item and moving the money into reserve account, the Board could move some money into the Community Center and shift some money into the B fund for the Youth Program. Even though the Board would be changing the budget a little bit, there would be no significant increase because that money is already budgeted into the tax increase this year.
Mr. Izzo stated under electoral contractual expenses, he asked if the Board is anticipating in the college chargeback amount that the $16,980 for the elections. Supervisor Markou stated it was in that amount. Mr. Izzo said that that amount technically could stay zero. Supervisor Markou concurred. Mr. Izzo stated that you are not adding that amount to the budget, but to be careful because the reason the County does it on a Town by Town basis is because of the equalization rate. The County equalizes all the Town’s tax rates to a dollar, so each Town pays the same amount under the equalization rate. The reason they charge each individual Town is so they don’t have to go the equalization rate. The County just charges back the tax rate for that particular Town. If the
County went to the equalization rate, depending on where the Town falls, the Town may not pay the full amount, it could be less, or it could end up being more.
Mr. Izzo also asked the Board to have the County itemize the $16,980. He would like to know how much of that expense goes to the elections and how the amount if formulated. The County does not pay the Town for the use of the Senior Center. The do pay fire companies though, so in reality, they are paying for the use of the facility and then taxing the Towns.
Mr. Izzo stated if the County insists on charging the Town for the charge backs, then he suggests that the Town get, from the money charged to the colleges, be sent directly to the Town to offset the charge backs. The County uses that money given from other Counties to offset the college budget which in turn offsets the County’s share. The County is getting the Towns twice. It is getting you from the charge backs and from the use of the monies that should come back.
Playgrounds/recreation budget put in the reserve account.
Town Historian was cut 51% from last year.
Celebrations were decreased 30% from last year. The Town sponsors Music in the Park in the amount of $5,000. Supervisor Markou stated that is a great program and the Town should continue to support it.
Mr. Izzo spoke about the Heart of Catskill. This is the organization that runs the program. They have been raising money fairly nicely and seem to be thriving. He believes that the Town should decrease their amount of funding to the Heart of Catskill because they have started to make money and seems to be on its own. He is asking why then, the taxpayers should be paying for funding for those types of services since the organization is succeeding. He suggested the organization submit a financial accounting to the Town.
Grant writer was decreased $5,000 with no additional changes.
Community Beautification was decreased $2,000 with no additional changes.
Landfill Administrator account remained unchanged.
Cemetery account changed for the custodian and the workers. Councilman Antonelli stated to remove the $1,200 from the custodian’s salary as he is capped.
Sandy stated the Retirement system increased a lot because we are going to have to give more money because of the economic state.
Supervisor Markou asked if we were pretty solid on the health insurance increase. Sandy stated we should be ok.
Ambulance bond, interest and principal. Sandy stated this is the second payment. There are three more after this. Mr. Izzo stated it is the last payment on the first five years on the $120,000 and it is the second payment on the new one million. Next year it should go back to around $160,000 because the five year one will be paid off thus causing a reduction of $120,000.
Supervisor Markou then reviewed the Revenues. He stated mortgage revenues were budgeted for $250,000 and he doesn’t believe that will hold. Total revenues have a proposed decrease of $79,816.
Supervisor Markou reviewed the General Outside Village Fund, the “B” Fund.
Computer Equipment was cut. Sandy stated we could remove it out of the budget and put it in the reserve fund. Mr. Izzo stated that that money could be moved to the Youth Program. Supervisor Markou stated it should all go into the reserve fund and then see what is in there and maybe it can be reallocated. Mr. Izzo stated that if the $2,000 was put in the reserve account, then it doesn’t have to be touched next year if you don’t want to. A cash transfer needs to be made, but it can stay there. The $1,000 that is in the budget is in the tax rate. If it is zeroed out and moved to Youth Programs, were it is indicated that there is a shortfall, the budget isn’t being changed. You are correcting the shortfall that there may be and not affecting the tax rate in the
B fund. The $2,000 can be spent next year or the year after. Supervisor Markou stated to remove the $1,000 to Youth programs.
Demolition/Unsafe buildings was cut by 50%, no additional change.
Health Officer remained the same from last year.
Registrar changed by $352.
Ambulance CE was zeroed out.
Youth Programs was at $52,950 and was increased to $53,950.
Celebrations CE was zeroed out. The money that was in there was for the trolley.
Planning/Zoning Clerk shows the 4% increase. The contractual was cut by $11,000. Councilman O’Connor stated the contractual is for the legal fees.
Code Enforcement PS shows the 4% increase. The engineer was cut by 50% and contractual were cut by 3%.
Retirement/Social Security/Disability all show increases.
The Revenues for the General Outside Village Fund show a decrease of $43,452.
The DA Fund-Highway Town Fund showed an appropriation of zero and revenue of zero.
The DB Fund-Highway Outside Village Fund are based on the Highway Superintendent’s budget. The General repair fund increased based on the cost of black top, salt and sand.
Mr. Izzo stated that the Highway Superintendent’s salary needs to come out of the A Fund because it is State Law. He asked if it is a requirement that the Deputy Highway Superintendent’s salary come out of the A Fund. Sandy stated it could be either. Mr. Izzo stated the reason he asked is because if the Deputy Highway Superintendent’s salary comes out of the A Fund then it is based across a larger assessed base.
Supervisor Markou asked if there were any other comments for that section. No one responded.
He reviewed the College Chargeback Fund. Supervisor Markou stated he will follow-up with Joe Izzo’s suggestion. He stated there was a big push earlier in the year with the Legislature, that they were going to cut the chargebacks by 25% one year and 25% the next year and it all disappeared like smoke.
Supervisor Markou reviewed Allen St. Sewer Fund. There was a change because the interest rate dropped.
He reviewed the Cementon Sewer Fund. He stated we are staying pretty close to the $53,000.
The Post Avenue Sewer Fund decreased a little because of the decrease in interest rate.
The Catskill Fire Protection Fund increased 3%. This is the last year of the 3 year contract. There is a one year option renewal.
The Cementon Fire Protection remained unchanged.
The Kiskatom Fire Protection decreased slightly. Number not finalized.
The Leeds Fire Protection increased 4%.
The Palenville Fire Protection has yet to submit a number. Their budget hearing is scheduled for October 21st.
The Allen St. Hydrant, Jefferson Heights Hydrant, and Leeds Hydrant remained unchanged.
The Allen St. Lighting Fund, Cementon Lighting Fund, Jefferson Heights Lighting Fund and Palenville Lighting Fund increased 10% per Central Hudson’s recommendation.
The Summary of All Funds, with the changes made, increased the rate by three cents, from $5.36 per $1,000 to $5.39 per $1,000. Sandy stated she needs to run the figures for the percentage change, but believes it will be close to 10%.
The changes made this evening were left and Supervisor Markou asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting. With a motion from Councilman Smith and seconded by Councilman Walsh, the meeting ended at 7:14 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Elizabeth Izzo
Town Clerk
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