Board members plan to lower budget before approval
As some people are tightening their own spending, Rotterdam is proposing a tax increase that might put some more pressure on resident’s wallets.
Rotterdam Supervisor Francis Del Gallo’s 2011 tentative budget totaling $21.2 million includes a residential property tax increase of 11.36 percent. Almost $1.6 million is being used from the town’s fund balance to help cover the cost of state mandates and other costs.
Del Gallo said some of the budgetary pressures were increasing Retirement costs by 35 percent and health insurance costs are increasing by 15 percent. Revenue in the town is also declining from almost $7.1 million in 2010 to an estimated $6.9 million for 2011.
Businesses will also feel the burden as non-residential property taxes rise 14.7 percent. Del Gallo said the commercial people are getting beat up and he recognizes businesses are trying to make due with less.
Del Gallo did also blame part of the tax increase on the town’s previous Republican board.
`They [the previous administration] haven’t taxed anybody for three years,` said Del Gallo. `If you don’t raise taxes it is only common sense.`
Councilman Gerard Parisi, lone Republican board member, disagreed the tax increase is due to the previous administration.
`This is a complete failure on part of the supervisor and deputy supervisor,` said Parisi. `Based on what they campaigned upon was a big tax cut, obviously they didn’t keep their promise.`
Councilwoman Nicola DiLeva also felt the budget is unacceptable at this point, but she didn’t want to blame the previous board.
`You don’t look at the past, I can’t blame anything on them [the previous board],` said DiLeva. `We are the present board and I want to find an alternative to this.`
DiLeva requested for board members to finally meet with department heads to go over the budget and find ways to cut costs. She believes the board would be able to reduce the budget.
`There is a lot more on our part we can do, but we just haven’t had a chance cause it was just given to us,` said DiLeva. `Yes, I am confident that it will be lower. I will never, ever, ever agree to an 11 percent increase in taxes.`
Parisi didn’t feel as optimistic the budget could be lowered before approval.
`I have no indication that the board will be able to do that at all,` said Parisi. `The two leaders have little or no support for the three other members.`
Parisi said he is going to talk with DiLeva about solutions for lowering the budget, but he doesn’t know if Del Gallo and Deputy Supervisor Robert Godlewski would accept the changes.
`I hope we can do better than what they’ve done,` said Parisi. `They refused to meet with board members on several times. Now they came out on their budget and it is a disaster, so now we got to try to do our best to solve the problem.`
Parisi said the only meeting Del Gallo and Godlewski had before releasing the budget was at the home or store of Del Gallo and he didn’t go cause it was not a proper place to discuss the budget.
`You got to remember one thing, Gerard Parisi is a big liar,` said Del Gallo. `He can meet with the board and meet with me anytime he wants, he has never asked me.`
Del Gallo said he has some ideas to lower the budget before adoption.
`It is really too early yet to know how to lower the budget, but we are going to lower the budget,` said Del Gallo.
DiLeva also said there are some specific adjustments to the budget she would like to make, but she wants to hear from residents first.
`I’m sure there will be some good ideas brought forth by the public,` said DiLeva.“
