October 25, 2004

A closer look at the budget

Looking past the front page, I went through the appropriations and revenues listed in the tentative town budget. There will be a budget workshop tonight, October 25th, at 5:00pm at the Neptune Hose Company (map) to discuss this tentative budget and turn it into a preliminary budget for the November 4th budget hearing.

Once again, it's hard to tell what this money is really for, but I went looking for items that had changed, following a rough '5% or $5000' rule. I've highlighted changes that seem especially large.

Here's a list of what I found in Townwide Appropriations:

  • Equipment for Justices is increasing from $3000 to $10,000.
  • The Town Supervisor's budget is increasing from $55,564 to $64,000. (Actual 2003 expenditure was $96,915.)
  • Personnel Services for Finance are increasing from $7155 to $8000.
  • Contractual expenditures for Engineering are increasing from $10,200 to $12,000. (They were $2,221 in 2003.)
  • The budget for elections is declining from $19,180 to $12,600. 2003 expenditures were $9787, so I'm guessing that the presidential election year forced a bump up this year.
  • Public Works equipment is going from $40,500 to $133,500.
  • Public Works contractual expenditures are going from $47,000 to $90,000.
  • General Government Support - Mapping is declining from $5550 to $4000.
  • Other Educational Activity's contractual expenditures are going from $0 to $1000. (They were $702 in 2003.)
  • Traffic Control's contractual expenditures are going from $5500 to $6000.
  • Project Impact's contracual expenditures are increasing from $0 to $500. (They were $514 in 2003.)
  • Personal services for the Superintendent of Highways are increasing from $144,657 to $119,049.
  • Street Lighting contractual expenditures are increasing from $8500 to $9200.
  • Programs for Aging contractual expenditures are increasing from $9000 to $9500.
  • Recreation Administration Personal Services are increasing from $35,900 to $48,500.
  • Recreation Administration Equipment is declining from $3000 to $1600.
  • Recreation Administration contractual expenditures are increasing from $3000 to $8800
  • The Freeville-Dryden Trail goes from $146,000 to $147,000, though I'm only mentioning this one because I wonder if it's the same money from last year being reallocated.
  • Youth Services contractual expenditures decline from $70,000 to $68,061.
  • Library funding increases from $10,000 to $10,500
  • Community Arts contractual expenditures fall from $9884 to $3600.
  • Employee benefits increase from $267,560 to $276,000.
  • Transfers to capital funds decline from $45,500 to $0. (They were $500,000 in 2003!)

In Appropriations, Outside, I find:

  • Zoning costs decline from $90,490 to $85,948.
  • Planning costs decline from $28,240 to $6500.
  • Mapping costs decline from $4000 to $1200.
  • Employee benefits fall from $90,920 to $78,920.

In Highway Appropriations - Townwide, I found:

  • Machinery costs are increasing from $533,500 to $665,500.
  • Employee benefits are increasing from $199,950 to $207,600.

In Highway Appropriations - Outside, I found:

  • Street Maintenance climbs from $281,500 to $291,000.
  • Road Construction climbs from $498,500 to $538,500.
  • Employee Benefits climb from $178,700 to $189,600.

Switching to revenues, in Townwide revenues, I found:

  • Real Property Taxes and Tax Items decline from $12,500 to $8,000. (I don't know what this line means, but it's much smaller than the main property tax line!)
  • Non-Property taxes increase from $175,749 to $262,000 on the strength of more sales tax revenue.
  • Clerk Fees increase from $1000 to $2000.
  • The Dog Surplus (?) declines from $1500 to $125.
  • Recreational charges fall from $42,685 to $20,000.
  • Recreation and culture (not sure how this is different from above line) falls from $39,780 to $20,000
  • Dog licenses increase from $8000 to $12000.
  • Sale of Property increases from $50,300 to $54,000
  • "Miscellaneous" increases from $0 to $27,825, with $2,825 in Gifts & Donations and $25,000 in Misc Revenues.
  • State Aid Per Capita climbs sharply from $13,473 to $42,440.
  • Federal Aid declines from $31,872 to $0.

In Revenues, Outside, I found:

  • Zoning Fees decline from $9500 to $3500.
  • Planning Board Fees decline from $500 to $0.
  • Interest & Earnings decline from $10,000 to $6000.
  • State Aid Per Capita declines from $25,000 to $0.
  • Federal Aid for culture & Recreation falls from $68,876 to $0.

In Highway Revenues - Outside, I found:

  • Sales Tax Received falls from $832,469 to $780,000
  • Interest & Earnings falls from $10,500 to $8000.

I'll cover districts in a separate article later today. I understand them even less than I understand what I've covered here.

Posted by simonstl at October 25, 2004 08:26 AM
Note on photos
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