Salaries and taxes up in town of Washington

WASHINGTON — By New York state law, towns must present their draft budgets at a public hearing the Thursday after Election Day. This year some town of Washington residents came to question the 2 percent salary increase for town employees after a 3 percent increase last year.

Councilman Robert Audia acknowledged that there was heated discussion among the board members about salary increases, but justified them.

“We get our money’s worth and it has to do with the people involved,� he said.

Resident Tom Barger said, “I’m not happy. The cost of living is not up.�

Kate Farrell, who was present to provide the results of the Comprehensive Plan Committee to the board, observed, “There are lots of people who would like these jobs.�

“I work for IBM and employees pay something for their health care,� said Rita Rotunno, who came to quiz the Cablevision representative.

No one objected to Deputy Supervisor Stephen Turletes’ suggestion to increase the salary of the town supervisor to $17,250 from last year’s $12,000, probably because Florence Prisco is still the lowest paid supervisor in the entire county and town council members voted no raise for themselves.

Town residents will have another opportunity to voice their opinions when the budget is reviewed again at a final public hearing on Monday, Nov. 15.

Despite salary increases and increases in state pension contributions, total town expenditures for 2011 are estimated to decrease $18,000 from 2010 levels to total $3.2 million. After approving spending increases of 4.7 percent in 2008 and 8.3 percent in 2009, the Town Board has managed to pare down spending again while avoiding cuts to essential services.

Compared to last year, town revenues from outside sources are estimated to increase slightly due to a $75,000 projected increase in mortgage and sales tax receipts; however, the slowly recovering economy has not brought this income to the levels of 2007, when the mortgage tax alone paid for 10 percent of the town’s budget.

The result will be a 2.74 percent rise in the town tax levy. Once again, dipping into the fund balance has held down the size of the tax increase, but town Bookkeeper Laura Hurley warned that next year the Highway Department fund would be stressed.

What it means to the town taxpayer is a very small increase in actual taxes paid, amounting to about an $18 increase on a town home assessed at $400,000 in 2010 and a $3 increase on a village home.

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