Town Supervisor Anna Throne-Holst Files 2015 Tentative Budget

Southampton Town Supervisor Anna Throne-Holst filed her 2015 Tentative Budget which proposes a 0% tax levy increase and bottom line total of $­­­­­­­100,400,000 in appropriations, easily qualifying the Town for compliance with the state mandated 1.5% tax cap.

The Supervisor made a formal budget presentation to the Town Board during a Special Town Board Meeting last Tuesday, Sept. 30.

In the proposed budget the Town’s overall property tax levy is $­­66.1 million, the same as the 2014 Adopted property tax levy.

“As a result of nearly five years of truly conservative fiscal practices, our Town is in an especially strong financial position, allowing us to make investments in important capital projects and to enhance the capabilities of existing services in response to growing community needs,” said Throne-Holst.

Under the proposed budget, priority capital projects include:

• Upgrading town-wide police emergency communication
• Continuing to upgrade computerized operations
• Maintaining the Highway Capital Program consistent with prior year’s levels
• Funding for Good Ground Park in Hampton Bays
• Funding the demolition and installation of a new pier at Ponquogue Bridge
• Funding for new bay constable vessels
• Funding for Park and Town facility improvements
• Funding to upgrade Town fuel management systems

Also included in the Operational Budget are eight new positions including:

• Two police officers and one police tech support position for Town Police Department
• One ordinance officer in Code Enforcement
• One environmental analyst in the Environmental Division of Land Management
• Two auto equipment operators and one mechanic in the Highway Department

Additionally, the Operational Budget provides:

• Funds for a special prosecutor assigned specifically to code enforcement issues
• Funding in the Town Clerk’s budget for the 375th anniversary celebrations of the Town
• Funds for a contract with Stony Brook University to develop water quality protection strategies

In her budget presentation the Supervisor also touched on a unique question the Town faced in light of its extraordinary fund balance of 32 percent (or $29 million), well beyond the Town’s required minimum of 17 percent – a level already considered conservative by municipal standards.

For more information, visit: http://www.southamptontownny.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=110

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