According to my analysis (to view click here) a merger of the two departments can benefit both village and town residents under the following scenarios:
- Combined personnel costs are reduced by 10% from current levels (NO LAYOFFS!!!); and,
- Current equipment, material, etc. expenses for the Village can be reduced by 25%.
If the above conditions can be met, Village residents will see a 37% property tax savings while highway-related property taxes will remain flat for non-Village residents. If the merger results in even greater personnel and equipment/materials savings than described above, non-Village residents will actually save money with the potential for increased services!
While there are many details to be worked out, this is a merger that could benefit ALL Saugerties taxpayers provided certain benchmarks are met. Hopefully, the Town and Village will be able to reach a mutually beneficial agreement (without anyone losing their job) in the near future.
