Asharoken Proposes 2.4% Budget Increase

The Village of Asharoken has proposed a 2.43 percent budget increase for fiscal year 2012, which begins May 31. That translates in to a $46,256 increase from $1,901,267 to $1,947,523 bringing the tax rate to $10.73 per $100 of assessed value.

A public hearing was held Monday, March 7 at

Like many other area budgets, the increase is due to mandated PBA contracts as well as New York State pension and health care costs. The police budget line will increase $54,176 from $1,074, 084 to $1,019, 908, which is 5.3 percent.

Three other budget categories showed increases. They are:  a $53,000 increase to the contingency fund from $73,500 to $126,500 or 72.1 percent; Village Hall operating expenses, which are expected to increase $3,096 from $124,111 to $125,443, or2.6 percent; and an ‘other’ category, expected to increase $750 from $37,100 to $37,850, which is 2 percent.

The increase to the contingency fund is due to $61,500 put away for the new Village Dock. Other contingency fund amounts are $30,000 for unallocated expenses; $8,000 for general police fund; $4,000 for sanitation; $13,000 for highway increased by $8,000 for anticipated maintenance; and $10,000 for unpaid benefits.

There were decreases in seven budget categories. They were: ACOE feasibility study, which was placed in to the appropriated reserve fund; the highway department; the sanitation department; professional fees; non-police employee benefits; court; marine; and contractual village staff.

The highway department’s budget line is decreasing $170,500, from $199,000 to $28,500 or 85.7 percent. That is due to the expiration of $174,000 in Department of Transportation contracts that will be expensed by May 2011. The net increase of $3,500 is for anticipated higher costs in snow removal for the upcoming calendar year.

The sanitation department budget line will decrease by $1,340 from $125,443 to $124,103. That is due to overall reduced expenditures within the department.

Professional fees are expected to decrease $10,000 from $40,000 to $30,000. Non-police employee benefits are expected to reduce $28,676 from $64,326 to $35,650 or 44.6 percent. Village Clerk Nancy Rittenhouse said that the village “finally” got the last unauthorized person off of the Village’s health care plan.

(Editor’s Note: Shortly after taking office in July 2008, Mayor Patricia Irving began an investigation of persons enrolled in the NYS Empire Plan, the health insurance carrier for the village. Village records indicated that several persons and families were participating in the Village health care coverage that were not employees of the Village. These included the former Mayor William Kelly and former Clerk Dorothy Aiello. The health coverage was either paid for or subsidized by the village. The village won the battle in court in March 2010.)

The court cost budget category is decreasing $12,500 from $58,900 to $46,400 or 21.2 percent, reflecting an adjustment of court fees and state court expenses to reflect actuality.

The contractual village staff budget line is decreasing $5,825 from $106,475 to $100,650 or 5.5 percent. This is due to reductions in expenses. Contractual village staff includes the village attorney, the assessor, the treasurer and the superintendent of buildings.

The fire protection contract with will stay the same, or $108,075.