COLONIE — The 2020, $99.5 million town budget proposed by Supervisor Paula Mahan will increase spending by a little more than 4 percent, or about $3.9 million, and increase property taxes by about 2 percent.
If approved, the tax rate will jump from $3.91 per $1,000 of assessed value to $3.99 per. To the owner of a median valued home in town it represents a tax increase of $11.70 per year, or .98 cents per month.
Tax for the Latham Water District will decrease by about .03 cents per $1,000 of assessed value.
Contractual salary increases represents $1.6 million of the budget’s increase. Employees represented by seven unions are under individual, four-year deals that expire at the end of 2020. The salary increases included in all contracts includes 0 percent raises in 2017 and 2018, a 2 percent raise this year and a 2.5 percent increase in 2020, which is reflected in the tentative budget.
Employee benefits, like health insurance and retirement, will also increase by a little more than $1 million to $25.8 million under the proposed plan.
Debt service will increase by $783,143 to $11.6 million in 2020.
The most expensive department in town is again the Police Department, which will increase to $16.9 million in the proposed 2020 budget from $16.2 million this year. Police Chief Jonathan Teale will see his salary increase from $135,188 to $141,202, making him the highest paid employee in town.
The second highest paid employee is Department of Public Works Commissioner Jack Cunningham, who will see his salary jump to $129,323 from $125,101 and in third place is Mahan, whose salary will remain at $123,006 in her proposed budget.
The two deputy police chiefs will see their combined salary increase from $256,852 to $267,430 and the salary of six lieutenants will increase from $738,297 to $766,499.
There is an additional police officer included the 2020 budget bringing the total to 69 for a combined salary of $5.7 million, up from $5.5 million this year.
There is also an additional detective sergeant in 2020 and the combined salaries of all four will jump to $414,544 from $306,476.
The Public Health Department, which includes EMS, will increase to $4.5 million from $4.3 million. There is an additional EMS captain and the four combined salaries will jump to $378,866 from $301,036.
This story will be updated for our print edition.
