The Malta Town Board will continue to discuss the 2007 tentative budget at a workshop Oct. 16 at 4 p.m. The tentative budget, filed last month by Supervisor Paul Sausville, is $6.58 million, details of which have been discussed at several recent workshops. These workshops are open to the public and provide a forum for the board to discuss specific items before adopting a preliminary budget later in the month.
Once the preliminary budget has been adopted, a public hearing will be scheduled for residents to provide feedback and ask questions.
Malta is in sound financial condition, said Sausville. The budget includes $1.05 million for fire and ambulance services, $1.6 million for highway maintenance, $840,000 for parks, recreation and culture, $560,000 for planning and code enforcement as well as $360,000 for capital project reserve.
`The town has been very resourceful. Revenues to balance the budget are projected to come from sales taxes, mortgage taxes, franchise fees, permit fees, fines and special-purpose taxes,` said Sausville. `Property owners pay real-estate taxes only for the fire protection district and a small amount for the volunteer ambulance service award.`
The tax rate for the volunteer ambulance services is $.02 per $1,000 while the fire protection tax rate is $.6653 per $1,000. With no outstanding debt and no highway tax, it is expected that property owners with an assessed value of $200,000 will pay $137 in real property taxes next year.
Some of the line items in the tentative budget include providing $60,000 for library services. While the town typically provides financial support to the Round Lake Library, Sausville said, a small portion of this year’s funding will be specifically ear-marked for architectural studies to explore the possibility of expanding the existing Round Lake Library.
Another item under review is $100,000 to begin a reassessment project proposed by town assessor Sue Otis. The proposal, presented by Vice President of GAR Associates Cindy Baire, is designed to bring about fair and equitable property assessments through a comprehensive townwide project. Baire said the project would verify property inventory data, create a new baseline, and bring the assessor’s office into the electronic age. Otis said the town did not do an annual reassessment last year, which resulted in a drop in the equalization rate from 100 to 85.
`It is time to make a commitment,` she said. `This will take a couple of years.` Sausville noted that the $100,000 in the tentative budget would provide funding for the first year of the multi-year program.
Other line items include a request from Saratoga P.L.A.N., as well as setting aside money for future capital improvements, the purchase of highway equipment and upgrading park equipment. “