Niskayuna’s tentative budget for next year is below the state imposed tax cap and limits the use of savings.
Town Supervisor Joe Landry’s 2013 budget proposal was filed on Monday, Oct. 1, and it totals more than $21 million and calls for a tax levy increase of around 1.4 percent. The general and highway spending plan totals almost $13.67 million, which is an increase of $415,316, or 3 percent.
“There are additional expenses that we had to incur, which are retirement increases and health insurance increases,” Landry said, “but we were able to put this budget together despite those.”
Revenues outside of property taxes are projected to increase by more than $272,000, which is helping to offset growing expenses. Revenues from town-owned property sales are increasing by $55,000 and total $145,000.
Landry said the town is selling off parcels of land near its recreation center that aren’t being used. The properties are on a hilly area, and development typically occurs on the outer edges near roadways.
The budget projects an increase of $75,000 in mortgage tax revenue for a total of $700,000. Landry said he expects home purchases or refinancing to grow next year.
Revenues from the town’s new lawn debris pick up fee are also increasing by $20,000 to $170,000. This was the first time residents were faced with the new fee, which they could opt out of paying. Initial projections for this year have revenues exceeding the budgeted amount, according to Landry.
The budget draws minimally from reserves, with only $43,000 applied from the highway fund balance. The spending plan, if approved as is, would mark the second year no general fund reserves are tapped, with this year’s adopted budget also not using any highway reserves. There is no fund balance usage proposed in special districts.
“The fund balances are adequate,” Landry said. “We have quite a bit in the fund balance in the general and highway.”
Landry wasn’t able to provide an estimated projection of how much fund balance would be in town coffers at the end of the year, but said there is a “good cushion.”
The biggest challenge the town faces is providing services as mandated costs increase.
“What we are trying to do in Niskayuna is continue to provide services that our residents expect,” Landry said. “I see that getting harder and harder as we progress.”
Retirement costs are projected to increase by more than 12 percent next year to total of $1.4 million. Health insurance costs are increasing less rapidly than retirement costs but are still projected to swell 5.6 percent to a total of nearly $1.5 million.
Personnel costs for senior programming are increasing from $76,000 to $115,000, which accounts for a part-time employee becoming full time. There other employee is remaining part time.
“There is a lot of administrative work outside of providing the senior services being there on Tuesday and Thursday,” Landry said. “There are other administrative services that need to get done outside of those two days and now we will have the staff to be able to do that and hopefully we can enhance some of the programs.”
Also, the town is placing programming for seniors, adults and children under the Office of Community Programs.
“There is not really a loss of services,” Landry said. “We are trying to become much better in our allocation of resources, so that we know what is costing the town a certain amount of money.”
Landry said he is scheduled to present his budget at the Town Board’s Tuesday, Oct. 23, meeting. There were will be a public hearing before the budget must be approved on Tuesday, Nov. 20.
Last year, the town board adopted Landry’s proposed budget without any changes. It increased the tax levy by 3.4 percent, which was within the town’s tax cap, and saw spending increase by nearly $235,500.
