No preview available
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-10-22-STB Budget Town of Ulysses Special Town Board Meeting Budget Workshop October 22, 2010 * *Audio version can be heard at www.ulysses .ny .us Present : Supervisor Roxanne Marino ; Councilpersons David Kerness, Elizabeth Thomas and Lucia Tyler; Town Clerk Marsha L. Georgia. Absent : Councilman Kevin Romer Supervisor Marino called the meeting to order at 8 : 30 A.M. Ms . Marino presented a request from David Gell for financial assistance to install a bench dedicated to Christine Springer to be erected in front of the Village Hall. Mr. Gell is working on this with the Youth Department. The invoice for services will be expensed through the Youth Department The Board decided to fund by allocating the extra funds to the Black Locust Initiative as part of the overall Youth budget (Youth CE) . Ms. Marino moved to go into executive session to discuss matters related to the appointment, promotion, demotion, discipline, or removal of particular personnel . Ms. Tyler seconded the motion. Ms . Marino aye Ms. Thomas aye Ms . Tyler aye Mr. Kerness aye Adopted The meeting reconvened at 9 : 05 A.M. Ms. Marino highlighted some of the changes made to the tentative budget after the last meeting. They are as follows : • A Fund - Left salaries at 1 % except Highway employees @ 3 % • Removed $5000 from Stream Research • Reduced Reserve for Recreation to $ 8000 • Reduced DA Highway Equipment Reserve to $60,000 • Bridges reduced to $ 10,000 • Reduced B — Planning CE by $2000 • Increased Unrestricted Fund Balance in B Fund by $45 ,000 • Used an average of 85 % of Sales Tax Revenue • DB Highway Improvement Reduced to $ 145 , 000 The Board discussed putting the DB Highway Improvement back to $ 160,000 and using • an additional $ 15 ,000 of Fund Balance to offset the expense. This was based on information Mr. Kerness got from Jim Meeker relating to how NY State allocates monies for eligible highway repairs to municipalities . The Youth revenue still is a concern for the Board because the amount to be restored to the County budget is not final . Ms . Marino reported that the indication at this time is that the County may restore up to 50%. of the funding for Municipal Rural Youth Services. This assumption is used in current Tentative budget version. Ms . Marino went through the tax levy/tax rate schedules . Mr. Kerness asked about details in the budget for the B fund . Ms. Marino explained the computer and the Arc View GIS program was not put in. The Board discussed the increases in NYS Retirement contributions the Town will be facing the next few years . Ms . Tyler noted her concern with the rate and recommended that the Board reconsider reducing the rate of increase to salaries in 2011 for the • Highway Department to 2% instead of the 3 % proposed and considering a 0% increase to Special Town Board 2 10/22/2010 the other salaries, which would mitigate some of the retirement increase problem . The rest of the Board felt that this has been reviewed previously and the general consensus was to give the 3 % to the Highway Department. The Board discussed the differences in employee benefit contributions and salaries with respect to other municipalities ' employees . The Board discussed the need to update the Town' s Personnel Policy and forming a committee for that review. The Board tabled this for the next meeting scheduled for October 26, 2010 . Ms . Thomas requested restoring the Stream Research expense of $ 5000 that was reduced from the budget. The Board discussed this with respect to Mr. Kerness ' s concern over a lack of reports documenting the research findings. Ms. Tyler moved, seconded by Mr. Kerness the following: BE IT RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Ulysses approve to add $2500 back to the Stream Research. Further Resolve that the Town receives reports of compliance to State/Federal regulations and will be provide recommendations for mitigation of out of compliance conditions and Further Resolve provide out reach education in Ulysses . Ms. Marino nay Ms . Thomas aye Ms . Tyler aye Mr. Kerness aye Adopted Mr. Kerness presented his position on the amount of sales tax revenues and fund balances to use in the budget based on his projection of higher unrestricted fund balances at the end of 2010 and healthy fund balances . He recommends that the Town should use more fund balance in the budget and keep the overall fund balance at 10 to 15 percent of the total expenses and also recommended using more sales taxi The bottom line is the budget is extremely conservative leaving the unrestricted fund balances very conservative. Mr. Kerness stated that he feels that Ms . Marino has done a great job with this budget and the tax rate. Mr. Kerness just feels that he is setting the stage for next year and asked when the Town stops increasing their unrestricted fund balances at this higher rate . Ms. Marino stated that she strongly disagrees with Mr. Kerness ' s view that the Town is continuing to irresponsibly increase fund balances, . What she has tried to do in the excel worksheet she provided the Board is to show fund balance estimates for YE 2010 and calculations for the 2011 budget that will allow the Town to keep unallocated unrestricted fund balances at 15 % or 20% The Town is still going into very uncertain financial times for the next two years at least. Ms . Marino said that in the last few years the Town has used increasing amounts of fund balance. Ms . Marino believes that the Town is not accruing funds irresponsibly and taxing the public Hearing no further changes in the tentative budget Ms . Marino moved, seconded by Mr. Kerness the following: BE IT RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Ulysses moves the Tentative Budget to Preliminary Budget with the modifications done tonight. Ms . Marino . aye Ms . Thomas aye Ms . Tyler aye Mr. Kerness aye Adopted } Special Town Board 3 10/22/2010 The next scheduled meeting is October 26, 2010 . The time was set at 7 : 00 P .M. The topics to be discussed are EMS , Personnel, and Procurement Policy. The Public Hearing for the 2011 Budget will be held on November 3 , 2010 at 7 : 00 P .M. Hearing no further business Ms . Thomas moved, seconded by Mr. Kerness to adjourn the meeting. Unanimously approved. Meeting adjourned at 11 : 10 P . M . Respectfully submitted, Marsha L. Georgia Ulysses Town Clerk