Orangetown Adopts 2014 Budget with 1.71% Tax Levy Increase

The Orangetown Council went into Tuesday's special meeting with a preliminary 2014 town budget that was slightly below the state mandated tax levy increase cap.

The board approved a series of amendments before adopting a final 2014 Orangtown Budget that calls for a 1.71 percent increase based on state tax cap calculations. The town is approximately $112,000 under the cap. 

The actual average property tax increase for residents will be 3.36 percent, though the percentage is lower for cap purposes. The amendments approved Tuesday night reduced spending for 2014 by $1.5 million. The plan also calls for the town to spend $2.7 million in reserve funds, down from the $3.5 million in the preliminary budget. 

The town board had been working off the preliminary budget, which was the same as the tentative budget submitted by Supervisor Andy Stewart Sept. 24. The rest of the council proposed many adjustments last week that were approved Tuesday.

One point of contention was town funding for four libraries. Most of the speakers during the public hearing portion of Tuesday's meeting opposed further cuts to library funding. The Blauvelt Free Library had already accepted a 10 percent cut from 2013. Stewart proposed keeping the libraries in Tappan, Palisades and Orangeburg at the same level as 2013, but the council approved 10 percent cuts in those budgets as well by a 4-1 vote. Check back with Patch for more on the debate about library funding.

Stewart's tentative budget had also called for cuts into the overtime funds requested for leaf pickup by Orangetown Highway Superintendent James Dean. Councilman Tom Diviny met with Dean, who proposed cuts to other areas within his department to fund the overtime. 

"Jim convinced me his way was the better way to do it," Diviny said. "I said h e still has to cut $275,000 and he did. We gave Jim a number and he got to the number. I appreciate what Jim did for the town."

Stewart questioned if the other measures would put the department's ability to maintain the roads in jeopardy for the sake of just a few days quicker picking up leaves.

"You are making an issue of some people getting double time and wasting money," Dean said. "You are cutting back sevices that will effect safety and quality of life. If the leaves are not picked up in the time frame, people will suffer. It has happened here before. We wil make sure the roads stay in good shape. I guarantee you that."

The council voted to approve the cuts suggested by Dean and meet his requests for leaf pickup overtime. 

The council went into executive session for over an hour to discuss personnel matters related to the budget. When they came out, they made three final changes to the budget.

• Increase estimated revenue from building safety inspections from $1 million to $1.1 million
• Fund vacant building inspector position at $52,000 plus benefits
• Fund part-time seasonal help for building department at $25,000

• Denied Nyack Ambulance Corps request to increase its budget by $47,311.
• Budget $795,684 for Blauvelt Fire Protection, a decrease from $879,650 in the preliminary budget
• Approved $275,000 in cuts by Orangetown Highway Department, putting funding back in for leaf pickup overtime requested by Superintendent Jim Dean
• Approved $3.46 million in capital expenses to be paid for by bond.
• Amortize cost of benefits for Orangetown Police, but pay CSEA as comes due. Preliminary budget had called for amortization of both
• Spend $2.7 million in fund balance, down from $3.5 million in preliminary budget. 
• Remove $250,000 for college chargebacks, which will now be covered by Rockland County.
• Remove $200,000 for Orangetown Police cars and direct OPD to spend DEA seizure money on cars.