|
Philipstown Agrees to Fully Fund Butterfield Library Per November Public Referendum Vote
Garrison Fire Department 2008 budget request debated
by Mike Turton
Philipstown Town Supervisor Bill Mazzuca announced at the Town Board's November 7, 2007 meeting that a settlement agreement has been reached in the Board's dispute with the Butterfield Library over 2008 funding. As part of the agreement the Town will pay the $276,000 approved in a public referendum in November, 2006, an increase of $151,000 over 2007 funding levels. The Town had appealed to the courts on the basis that adequate notice had not been given prior to the referendum, however the courts ruled in favor of the library. As part of the agreement both sides will cease any further legal action. The library and the Town will also appoint a liaison to the other's board in order to improve communications between the two bodies. In accordance with provisions of the Education Law, $276,000 will now be the annual budget allocation from the Town to the Butterfield Library. Mazzuca indicated that in the future, the library will be identified as a district in the budget in the same manner as fire departments and water utilities.
Some of those departments were the main subject of the evening's budget workshop.
Volunteer organizations lie at the heart of what makes most small communities tick and Philipstown is no exception. Volunteers put in countless hours providing vital contributions to community life including fire protection and ambulance services, receiving no compensation for their efforts. While taxpayers are saved the cost of running full time departments, volunteer organizations are by no means free. At its November 7 workshop, the Philipstown Town Board reviewed preliminary budgets for a number of organizations and the results ranged from routine to controversial.
Continental Village Water and Park Districts came in with proposed 2008 budgets of $323,387 and $164,630 respectively - a 2% increase for both. The Continental Village Volunteer Fire Department is requesting $248,396 which represents a 6% decrease from the previous year. Philipstown Volunteer Ambulance is also proposing a reduction of 1% in its request for $288,411 due to an anticipated reduction in the number of volunteers and a resultant lowering of contributions to the pension fund. Philipstown's share of the Cold Spring Volunteer Fire Department's 2008 budget remained virtually unchanged at $41,600.
Disagreement arose with the review of the Garrison Volunteer Fire Department (GVFD) Budget. GVFD is requesting a 16% increase in funding, for a budget which would total $719,879 if approved. John Svirsky, GVFD Treasurer, explained that about $80,000 of the increase would go towards purchase of a new pumper which will cost approximately $440,000. The department has already paid $163,000 towards the purchase with payments being made as the vehicle is built. GVFD maintains a truck reserve fund as part of its ten-year plan for equipment replacement. Svirsky attributed the remainder of the proposed $100,646 increase to marked increases in operating expenses such as insurance, fuel, legal costs and building maintenance costs for the department's two firehouses.
Area resident Joe Regele distributed copies of an analysis of the GVFD's finances using budget figures provided by the department. According to Regele, GVFD will have more than $300,000 cash-on-hand at the end of 2007 if budget estimates remain true. "Why is a $100,000 increase needed?" Regele asked. Svirsky responded that putting the additional funds in the reserve fund to pay for new vehicles over time makes more sense than asking the Town Board to fund a $400,000 purchase all at once. "We don't haphazardly spend money - we live within a budget" Svirsky stated. "We're a non-profit and we think it is right to accumulate funds. We've proven to the Town that we're fiscally responsible. If we do our numbers right we have to borrow less money. It's a business decision. If the Town says 'no' that's fine" he concluded. Stan Freilich, a Garrison resident, spoke out strongly against the funding increase as well. "It's bad practice to take taxpayers money sooner than necessary" he said. "The Town doesn't pay money in advance to other corps. Philipstown doesn't have a reserve fund and neither does the Haldane School District" Freilich argued.
Additional budget workshops were to be held on November 13 and 14 with the final review and adoption of the general budget scheduled for November 20. Supervisor Bill Mazzuca indicated that the salaries of Town employees need to be addressed, taking seniority into account.
Providing local news, information and opinions from
Philipstown and Putnam Valley, NY
Encompassing the Villages of Cold Spring and Nelsonville,
and the hamlet of Garrison, Putnam County, NY.
This site is a publication of The Putnam County News and Recorder, the source for news and information of the Philipstown
and Putnam Valley area. The PCN&R is 139
years old, published in hard copy every Wednesday, and circulated throughout Putnam
County, NY.
The PCN&R prints LEGAL NOTICES
for: Putnam County, The Town of Philipstown, The Town of Putnam Valley, Village of Cold Spring, Village of
Nelsonville, the Haldane Union Free School District and the Garrison Union Free School
District.
Deadline for printed press releases, advertisements and classifieds is Monday at noon for
Wednesday publication. This site is updated on an as-needed basis with a minimum update
weekly on Thursdays. For further information or to request a subscription to the paper, please
contact us with your name and mailing address at:
(845) 265-2468 PO Box 185, Cold Spring, NY 10516, or e-mail us at editor@pcnr.com
If you see an advertiser on line, tell them! | Click ads below
for larger version
|
