Somers Supervisor Mary Beth Murphy has released her 2014 tentative budget, which town board members will discuss during their work session on Thursday, Nov. 7 at 7:30 p.m.
The budget projects no increase in the tax rate for 2014, while maintaining all the services, according to a statement from town officials. The total budgeted appropriations for 2014 are $13,899,485.
"Careful planning throughout the last five years of economic difficulty has allowed a Tentative Budget with a zero tax increase," Murphy said in a statement. "In 2008, when the recession began, Somers immediately began reigning in spending. Over the next two years we lowered our budget appropriations by three quarter million dollars. This decrease in spending appropriations mirrored the significant decrease in revenue the town was experiencing."
By reducing spending to match the declining revenues, town officials were able to meet the town's expenses while continuing to grow the fund balance at a modest rate throughout this period, Murphy said.
Staffing levels in all departments are maintained at their current levels except the Water Department which will gain a water operator. Collective bargaining agreements call for a 2-percent salary increase for town staff.
In addition, town officials said they expect to continue the town's paving program by budgeting for an additional $2 million bond. Currently, the town has two $2 million bonds totaling $4 million for dedicated road repavíng and paving funds.
Also new is the addition of a shared services seasonal handyman for building and repair projects.
"Started this summer in lieu of a series of bid projects, the town sees significant savings for projects that would otherwise be bid out at prevailing wage and cost approximately 40 percent more to complete," Murphy said.
The Town Board will review the Tentative Budget at its Nov. 7 meeting and likely adopt a Preliminary Budget at its Nov. 14 meeting. A Public Hearing on the budget will be held on Dec. 5
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