Thursday, January 28, 2016
Saturday, January 23, 2016
2015 Election - Saugerties Voter Enrollment
2015 Election
County Executive – Saugerties
Mike Hein: 1996 – 51.4%
Terry Bernardo: 1793 – 46.1%
Hunter Downie: 98 – 2.5%
Saugerties Voter Turnout – last three local elections (based on 12,000 active voters)
2011: 5160 – 43.0%
2013: 5790 – 48.2%
2015: 4042 – 33.7%
2015 Voter turnout was 30.2% less than 2013
Thursday, January 21, 2016
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Saugerties Spending/Property Taxes Analysis by Fund
General Fund/Outside
Village
This Fund covers town government operations, excluding Highway & Special Districts.
Spending
2000 - $3,810,829
2005 - $5,794,500
2010 - $7,616,883
2016 - $8,837,811
Cumulative Increase
since 2000 –131.9%
Average increase –
8.2% per year since 2000.
AVERAGE ANNUAL RATE OF INFLATION
SINCE 2000 – 2.52% PER YEAR
Property Taxes
2000 - $2,322,179
2005 - $3,447,270
2010 - $5,292,983
2016 - $6,665,971
Cumulative Increase
since 2000 –187.1%
Average increase –
11.7% per year since 2000.
AVERAGE ANNUAL RATE OF INFLATION
SINCE 2000 – 2.52% PER YEAR
Highway
Spending
2000 -$2,062,028
2005 - $2,259,177
2010 - $2,898,012
2016 - $3,164,673
Cumulative Increase
since 2000 –53.5%
Average increase –
3.3% per year since 2000.
AVERAGE ANNUAL RATE OF INFLATION
SINCE 2000 – 2.52% PER YEAR
Property Taxes
2000 - $1,572,528
2005 - $2,109,177
2010 - $2,688,012
2016 - $2,803,352
Cumulative Increase
since 2000 –131.9%
Average increase –
4.9% per year since 2000.
AVERAGE ANNUAL RATE OF INFLATION
SINCE 2000 – 2.52% PER YEAR
Thursday, January 14, 2016
Largest Expense Areas in the Town of Saugerties Budget
2016 – Largest
Expense Areas – Total Budget (including Highway)
Excluding Special
Districts
|
TOTAL BUDGET INCLUDING
HIGHWAY
|
|
|
% of total
expenditures
|
|
|
Highway Dept.
|
26.4 %
|
|
Police Dept.
|
19.6%
|
|
Fringe Benefits
|
17.9%
|
|
Parks/Buildings/Youth
|
16.0%
|
2016- Largest Expense
Areas – Town of Saugerties Budget
(Non-Highway)
% of total spending
Excluding Special
Districts
|
Police
|
26.7%
|
|
Fringe Benefits
|
25.7%
|
|
Parks/Blds/Youth
|
23.7%
|
Friday, January 8, 2016
2015 Budget Review
2015 Budget Recap
General Fund (fund used to pay for town government from all Saugerties taxpayers)
The 2015 budget will go down as a missed opportunity for the Town Board to significantly reduce spending and property taxes.
Savings due to the County takeover of Safety Net & election costs and lower bond payments combined with new revenues totaled over $300,000. However, new spending (excluding fringe benefits) increased by over $355,000. The new spending went to raises for elected officials and department heads and increased departmental spending. Police spending increased by 6% and Parks/Buildings increased by 6.4%.
Savings due to the County takeover of Safety Net & election costs and lower bond payments combined with new revenues totaled over $300,000. However, new spending (excluding fringe benefits) increased by over $355,000. The new spending went to raises for elected officials and department heads and increased departmental spending. Police spending increased by 6% and Parks/Buildings increased by 6.4%.
Thursday, January 7, 2016
Town of Saugerties Adopts 2016 Budget
To see 2016 Saugerties Town Budget, click here.
2016 Budget
The State Tax Cap was 0.73. The town was within the tax cap under the complicated formula established by the State.
The State Tax Cap was 0.73. The town was within the tax cap under the complicated formula established by the State.
General Fund/Outside Village/Highway (excluding special districts)
Spending – $12,002,484, increase of 1.7% from 2015.
Property Taxes - $9,469,323, increase of 1.2% from 2015.
General Fund
Spending was mainly flat. The town had $200,000 in savings from the county takeover of election costs and spending reductions in serial bonds, insurance and the transfer station. After several years of losses, the transfer station is expected to at least break even. Highway Supt. Doug Myer is being paid an $8,000 stipend to manage the transfer station.
Savings were offset by over $200,000 in new spending (including fringe benefits). An installment debt expense of $28,400 was added (I could not find out what this is for). Police spending was flat. Parks/Buildings increased $56,000, or 3.1%. In 2005, Parks/Buildings spending was $983,000; now, it is $2.1 million. In 2005, the difference between Parks/Building expenses and revenues was $736,000. Today, it is $1.64 million.
Savings were offset by over $200,000 in new spending (including fringe benefits). An installment debt expense of $28,400 was added (I could not find out what this is for). Police spending was flat. Parks/Buildings increased $56,000, or 3.1%. In 2005, Parks/Buildings spending was $983,000; now, it is $2.1 million. In 2005, the difference between Parks/Building expenses and revenues was $736,000. Today, it is $1.64 million.
Highway
Total Spending - $3,164,673, 6.2% increase.
Property Taxes - $2,803,352, 3.4% increase.
After several years of relatively flat budgets, Highway spending saw spending and taxing increases this year. Full time salaries increased by 5% and health insurance increased by 7.6%. A bond anticipation note payment of $42,500 was added to the Highway budget.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)