East Hampton Town Supervisor Announces 2016 Tentative Budget

Supervisor Larry Cantwell recently announced the 2016 Tentative Budget for the Town of East Hampton.

The $73.5 million spending plan adds six full-time employees in the Police Department and Public Safety Division and provides additional seasonal help and overtime for enforcement at a cost of $700,000.

Taxes will increase by 1.8%, which is below the New York State-imposed tax levy cap.

“The 2016 Budget increases enforcement personnel and our ability to enforce the law and codes throughout the community,” Cantwell said.

According to Cantwell, overall the 2.75% spending increase is offset in part by $900,000 in cost savings from lower debt payments and employee retirement contributions.

“The budget further improves the quality of life for our residents by providing funding to bolster enforcement of the Town Code and laws, addressing planning needs for infrastructure improvements, and ensuring that internal controls are in place to protect our assets,” Cantwell wrote in the budget message. “This has been accomplished while maintaining the strong financial and budgetary controls that have resulted in the Town achieving its highest credit rating in nearly ten years.”

The combined increase in the tax levy in the major funds is $831,063, or 1.69%.

The tax levy increase is 1.82%, which is $176,732 below the New York State-imposed tax levy cap, which makes up a smaller part of the revenue than last year by almost 1%.

Any excess cap space can be applied toward the 2017 cap, providing the Town with additional flexibility to address issues in 2017 that arise during the 2016 budget year.

According to the budget message:

• Salaries and benefits for hiring three new Police Officers, one Code Enforcement Officer, one Fire Marshal, one Building Inspector, and one Assistant Town Attorney total $625,000.

• Additional projected cost increases of $465,000 are as follows: $345,000 for employee health insurance, $65,000 for snow removal, and $55,000 for workers compensation.

• This increase is largely offset by $910,000 in projected reductions and cost savings, as follows: $580,000 in retirement, $315,000 in debt service, and $15,000 in savings from the Scavenger Waste Fund.

• The retirement cost savings result from a reduction in the State Retirement System contribution rates.

• The debt service reduction is a result of the Town’s policy of borrowing less than it retires on a yearly basis, as well as two recent bond refinancing sales that lowered interest payments.

• These savings help to neutralize the cost of increasing enforcement, professional staff, health insurance, plowing budgets, and specialized insurances, while staying under the tax levy cap.

• Tax rates are up slightly. For residents who live outside a village, the combined tax rate increase for the Town’s major funds is 1.67%.

• The total Town tax increase for those residents with a $1 million home would be approximately $34.

• Residents living within the villages of East Hampton and Sag Harbor will see their combined Town tax rate increase by only 0.48%.

• The total Town tax increase for residents with a $1 million home would be about $4.

• The budget will add three new police officers, bringing the local department up to 65 sworn officers.

• The budget also adds $82,500 for part-time seasonal help and overtime in the Marine Patrol and Police departments.

• The budget will also add a new Code Enforcement Officer, increasing the number of Code Enforcement Officers to seven.

• The budget converts a part-time Fire Marshal to full time and funds the new Building Inspector added in 2015 and will fund the new full-time Assistant Town Attorney hired in mid-2015.

• The budget will also add two seasonal workers in the Parks Department to expand the summer garbage and litter clean-up program.

• The budget includes $50,000 for engineering for infrastructure improvements; $22,000 to upgrade the Town website, the redesign of which will provide for email notifications to residents in the event of emergencies, among other enhancements; and $155,000 for water-quality monitoring and improvements.

• The budget will providee funding for education-related programs in the Town.

• The East Hampton Day Care Center will receive support in the amount of $80,000.

• The after-school program Project Most will receive $35,000, and the Montauk Youth Program will receive $5,000.

• The budget will also address health, well-being and safety with financial assistance of $50,000 to Phoenix House for substance abuse counseling, $25,000 to the South Fork Health Initiative, which focuses on mental health, $5,000 to The Retreat, and $2,500 for the Pediatric Dental Fund.

• New funding in the amount of $5,000 is included for the East End Disabilities Group.