$1.58 million budget gets OK

PINE PLAINS — The Town Board unanimously adopted the 2011 budget at its monthly meeting on Thursday, Nov. 18. That budget projects a 5 percent tax levy increase and a final budget figure of nearly $1.58 million. It was as good as it was going to get this year, said town Supervisor Gregg Pulver.

“It is the hardest budget we’ve done and next year is going to be even harder,� he said. “It’s the trickle-down effect, and the climate of doing business in Albany is miserable.�

According to Pulver, the town’s budget “does a couple of things,� including providing for a property revaluation, which the town is preparing for. It plans to take a bond out for that project.

It is also retiring a bond for a past sidewalk and street lighting project, but is opting to leave that in the budget, to help pay for the new library, which is floundering with its funding. In fact, Pulver explained that the library foundation, which raised roughly $1.5 million to buy the property and construct the new library and community center building, has been unable to raise the rest of the money it owes, which amounts to roughly $1 million. After an audit is done, the town plans to take over the library’s mortgage. Pulver stressed that the process will be open to public scrutiny.

“We have to present the whole package to the board publicly ... it will be public knowledge and there will be no smoke and mirrors,� he said, adding that morally and realistically the town is obligated to help the nonprofit library foundation out of its dilemma. “I commend that group for doing what they did, for no real reason other than they created something that was needed.�

Other than providing funding for the library, Pulver said the “budget is pretty bare bones.�

The fund balance sits at around $300,000, which is where it’s been for the past 11 years while Pulver has been in office, he said. That has its pros and its cons.

“We’re not stashing money away,� the supervisor said, “although I wish we were. Every dime in this budget gets accounted for.�

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