The resolution approving a five-year contract between the Town of Orangetown and the Orangetown Police is on the agenda for Tuesday's town board meeting.
The item was also on the agenda two weeks ago, but did not come to a vote. Orangetown Supervisor Andy Stewart said Monday that the odds were 50/50 that it would come to a vote Tuesday night.
The with the Rockland County Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association (PBA) would retroactively implement 2.25 percent raises for 2011. Orangetown police would see a 2.25 percent raise for 2012, 2.35 percent raise for 2013, 2.45 percent raise for 2014 and 2.50 percent raise for 2015. All other benefits would remain the same.
Councilmen Denis Troy, Tom Diviny and Paul Valentine have already signed off on the agreement, so the deal would likely pass once it comes to a vote.
The town board could also adopt a calendar to schedule steps along the way to implementing the town's budget for 2013. That budget begins with the June 15 deadline for town department heads to submit capital budgets for 2013 and capital improvement plans for 2013 through 2017.
The next date on the budget is July 30, the deadline for department heads to submit estimated expenses and revenues for 2013.
"One difference is we pushed up the date for departments to submit operating budgets to July 30," Orangetown Director of Finance Charles Richardson said. "The reason is to give the town supervisor time to be more involved and also to allow for the possibility that we may need to redo the budgets after the initial July 30 submittal."
"In these trying budget times, the more time we can put into the review and refining of the budget the better," Stewart said. "I am looking forward to it with a bit of trepidation. I know it's a huge undertaking. The town board is faced with tough decisions. We want as complete a picture as possible."
Sept. 24 will be the last day for Stewart to submit a tentative 2013 budget, which will be published on the town website. The legal deadline to adopt the budget is Nov. 20, 2012. The calendar would include a public budget hearing at 8 p.m. Nov. 7.
At last week's workshop meeting, Orangetown Town Attorney John Edwards stressed the importance of avoiding the "chaos" of last year's budget process, which went very close to the deadline after a vote to override the state mandated tax levy cap was defeated Nov. 9.
The discussion of an override was not built into last year's budget calendar, in part because of the timing when the tax cap was signed into law by the state. A date to deal with that issue could still be added into the calendar. Oct. 23 is listed as the deadline to set a public hearing on a cap override if necessary.
The full agenda for Tuesday's meeting is attached to this report.
The agenda also includes the following:
- Public hearing at 8 p.m. to amend the town code regarding Bureau of Fire Prevention fees and working hours
- Public hearing at 8:05 p.m. to consider a petition fro Pearl River Veterans to amend conditions for The Point at Lake Tappan.
- Declaration of surplus equipment by the Orangetown Highway Department, which could then sell the equipment.
- Consider a request by the Vestry of Christ Church for an historic preservation project at 416 Valentine Ave. in Sparkill.
To all Board members Be our Scott Walker !! The taxpayers will support you !!
On a seperate note, I find many cops to be the biggest union bashers around. They seem to forget that everything they have and get, is colectively bargained for. 20 and out with half pay and medical for life. Great vacation and sick/personal time off. Many take, take and take while they throw stones at others. Hypicrites. Not all, but many.