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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBudget Hearing TOWN OF GROTON HEARING UPON PRELIMINARY BUDGET FOR THE YEAR 2001 AND FIRE DEPARTMENT BUDGET HEARING MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2000 AT 7:30 PM Those present: Glenn E. Morey, Supervisor Ellard L. Sovocool, Councilman Donald F. Scheffler, Councilman Sheldon C. Clark, Councilman Duane T. Randall II, Councilman Also present: Rick Case, Sue Mandrino, Lee Shurtleff, Lester Coit, George Totman, Peg Palmer, Don Palmer, Dan Higgins, Chris Nolan. Legal notice of the Hearing Upon the Preliminary Budget was published November 18, 2000 in the Town’s legal paper, the Moravia Republican Register. Supervisor Morey – Good evening everyone. We are here to talk about the public hearing for the fiscal year 2001 Town Budget and I am officially opening it. Any comments or questions? I’m going to start my presentation. The Town of Groton parts to the budget: the A, which is the General Town Wide; the B which is Part Town which includes everything except the Village of Groton; the DA, which is Town Wide, which is the Highway, which is our machinery; and DB, which is Highway Part Town, which just includes the roads outside of the Village. Last year we had the General Fund $380,716. This year it stayed relatively the same which was actually a decrease. Part B, Part Town, it went up a little from $111,000 to $118,000. And DA was the Highway for machinery. It went up considerably from $536,000 to $571,000 because we are going to be buying some new machinery. The DB Highway went from $251,000 to $274,000 which is the total taxes of $1,353,556. As you can see, the taxes we will have to raise out of the total amount, because this includes the revenues too, went to $969,723. This is actually a 3% increase over the spending from last year. However the rate per thousand of assessed value went down 3 ½% to 7.393. The reason why this happened is basically, the Town assessment over the last year went up 8%. It went from $227,000,000 to $240,000,000. However the tax rate went down 3 ½%. This means that on a $100,000 house you are going to be spending about $740 every year. Any questions? This also distinguishes between the fire districts, which we will get into a little later and the lighting districts. What we do here is we maintain the streetlights in McLean and in Peruville. As you can see, the rates haven’t changed at all. However the tax rate has gone down because of the assessed value. In McLean we’ll be paying almost 61 cents per thousand and Peruville will go down to 70 cents. Any questions? On the budget though….. that the Town Board and the Supervisor didn’t take any increase. We allowed a 3% increase to all 2001 Budget Hearing Page 2 November 6, 2000 full time employees and the full time elected officials, but the Board and the Supervisor took absolutely no raises. Any comments from the Board? Any comments from the audience? Don Palmer – I’d like to raise a point on that. As I look at the budget in particular with the roll of the Town Board and the Supervisor, I guess I would question why there is no increase. It would seem to me that there is a justification. You are elected as professionals to fill a need and if you eventually want to look at bringing new people on, you have to be building this process along and make it an attractive enough incentive for people to come on board. In the case of the Town Board, they are paid exactly the same rate in 1999, the current year and the projected year. I guess I’m just asking, as a Board, was that a unanimous decision? Is there any opposition to that? Councilman Scheffler – I was in favor of keeping it the way it is. I don’t look at it as a moneymaker. I look at it more as a volunteer job, not a volunteer job but something that I do to help out the Town. Councilman Sovocool – I have no objection to it. I’m not here to make money, to save money. Councilman Randall – I’m a new Board member and obviously the money didn’t mean anything to me actually. I was here to serve the community. I wanted a chance to give back some of what they have given me over the years so this was the perfect opportunity. Councilman Clark – I feel basically like Tyke. I was new on the Board this year. It was fine with me. I didn’t question it at all. Supervisor Morey – The reason why I didn’t……….. the money is not my biggest interest….. giving something back to my community………..(not using microphone). Peg Palmer – I have a question. You said all the full-time employees had a 3% increase. What about the part-time employees? Supervisor Morey – Yes, that too. Full-time and part-time people. Any other questions? Don Palmer – I guess I’m still not clear on one thing. It may have just slipped over me. But, when you look at this, the total budget for the year, each of the individual components reflected an increase over the current budget, yet the overall rate decreased. Each of the components, when you look at the revenue part of it, should take into consideration the estimated valuations, correct? Supervisor Morey – Yes. Don Palmer – I guess I’m still not clear on why then, if there is four parts of this, all which show an increase over the current budget in terms of revenue expectations, how can you result with an overall decrease in the rate? Supervisor Morey – Because the assessed value in the year 2000 is somewhere around $227,000,000. The same value for the Town of Groton ….the Village……it went up 8%. So, what you’re doing now, instead of spreading this over $227,000,000, you’re spreading it over $248,000,000. 2001 Budget Hearing Page 3 November 6, 2000 Don Palmer – So, the budgeted revenues don’t reflect that? Supervisor Morey – No. Don Palmer – Why is that? Supervisor Morey – The revenues? What are you talking about? Don Palmer – I’m talking the revenues within the budget. Supervisor Morey – They have no basis…. Don Palmer – They’re showing an increase on the individual revenue pages. That’s where I’m confused. You look at all the components compared to the prior year…. Supervisor Morey – This is the……….(not using microphone)… Don Palmer – Right. It went up 2% in the A category. In the B category it went up 5.7%. In the DA it went up 2.4. In the DB it went up about 13%. That’s how I’m not seeing how that all fits together and still results in a net decrease in the tax rate. Supervisor Morey – Good question. I guess we have to figure this out, Don. But then you look at just one part of the budget, not the whole part. Someone talking but not using microphone. Don Palmer – That’s the same with all of them. Each of them show an increase between budgeted for 2000 and 2001, each of the four pieces. Councilman Clark – The revenue… Don Palmer – The revenues…. Councilman Clark – Which would explain the increase in the assessment, correct? Don Palmer – That’s what I’m asking, is if that is reflected in that. Supervisor Morey – I believe it is, Don. Don Palmer – Okay. Supervisor Morey – Well, Board, help me. I can’t remember. Councilman Scheffler – I think the new assessment is included in this, isn’t it? I thought it was. Supervisor Morey – Excuse me? Councilman Scheffler – I thought the new assessment values were supposed to be included. Supervisor Morey – It was. It was supposed to be. 2001 Budget Hearing Page 4 November 6, 2000 Councilman Sovocool – The only reason the tax rate is going down is because of the new assessment, because our spending is up. Councilman Scheffler – Yes, our spending went up 3 ½ and the assessment values went up……. Supervisor Morey – It did, Don. Any other questions? Can I have a motion to close the Public Hearing? MOVED by Councilman Sovocool, seconded by Councilman Scheffler, to close the Public Hearing at 7:45 P.M. Ayes - Sovocool, Scheffler, Randall, Clark, Morey. FIRE DEPARTMENT 2001 BUDGET HEARING Supervisor Morey opened the Public Hearing at 7:45 PM. Supervisor Morey – There are two fire districts in the Town of Groton: the Groton Fire Department and the McLean Fire Department. Groton Fire Department went up 1 ½% to $67,000, which gives you a tax rate of $.98 per thousand. McLean budget went down to $48,245 which is a $1.85 tax rate. Any questions? Les, you want to add anything? Peg Palmer – Is that included in the 7.0 tax…. Supervisor Morey – No, it’s added on to that. Lester Coit – I’d like to let the Board know that after the first of the year the ambulance will probably have to start supplying their own supplies instead of getting them through the hospital. So, in the future, it could increase what we may require from the Town. Most other ambulances are billing. That’s a territory we’d just as soon not get into. There’s a lot of legalities and stuff in that. We do have one of the few ambulances that are still not charging and we appreciate it. Supervisor Morey – Any other comment? Dan Higgins, Ithaca Journal – One went down and the other went up. Is that also somehow related to the assessed value? Supervisor Morey – Yes, the McLean values went down this year. I don’t know why. Lee Shurtleff - I could help you a little bit with that. McLean Fire Department is part of a natural McLean Fire District which is a legal entity created in itself. It takes in parts of both the Town of Groton and the Town of Dryden. Fire districts work under a little different taxation in that their commissioners set a tax rate within that area. This Board has no control over what those commissioners do within that area. That’s contrasted with the Groton Fire Department, 2001 Budget Hearing Page 5 November 6, 2000 which is a non-profit corporation, that contracts with the Town, and the Town of Groton has the ability to negotiate that contract. A fire district has a set spending limit that they can spend and that is based on a number of factors, a formula that the State has, as well as the taxable assessment within the district. My understanding is McLean Fire District’s assessed valuation and Groton’s revaluation by the County decreased the amount that they are legally able to raise under the Fire District Law. And that affects the budget. In fact, to stay within that State-set spending limit they’ve had to decrease their budget. I don’t know what the particulars are but I worked with two of their commissioners and we discussed that. Some of it may have to do with the agriculture…….(not using microphone). Supervisor Morey – Any comments or questions? I’ll take a motion to close the public hearing for the fire districts. MOVED by Councilman Randall, seconded by Councilman Clark, to close the public hearing for the Fire Department Budgets at 7:50 P.M. Ayes - Sovocool, Scheffler, Randall, Clark, Morey. Supervisor Morey – Any other comments or concerns? There being no other comments or concerns and no other business, Councilman Sovocool moved to adjourn, seconded by Councilman Scheffler, at 7:51 P.M. Unanimous. Colleen D. Pierson Town Clerk