Projected town budget shows slight decrease

By Connor Linskey
Posted 11/4/20

The Town of Montgomery’s preliminary 2021 budget features many differences from the adopted 2020 budget, most notably a drop in taxes.

The grand total to be raised by taxes in the …

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Projected town budget shows slight decrease

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The Town of Montgomery’s preliminary 2021 budget features many differences from the adopted 2020 budget, most notably a drop in taxes.

The grand total to be raised by taxes in the preliminary 2021 budget is $9,452,760, which is a slight dip from this year’s adopted budget of $10,177,490.64.

Many elected town officials’ salaries have remained unchanged in the 2021 preliminary budget. Town council members are scheduled to receive $5,200.00, which is the same as this year. $27,851.10 is budgeted for each of the two Town Justices, similar to their salary of $27,305.00 in 2020. The Town Clerk is scheduled to receive a modest pay increase in 2021. Tara Stickles is slated to earn $75,530.00 next year after making $68,560.00 this year. The Town of Montgomery Superintendent of Highways Shaun Meres is scheduled to make $85,000 in 2021, a raise of over $11,000 from this year.

The preliminary 2021 budget features a new salary. $7,700 is budgeted for Deputy Supervisor Ron Feller.

“When we got elected, the supervisor called for a $2,500 stipend to be given to the deputy [supervisor] for the additional workload,” said Town of Montgomery Councilwoman Kristen Brown. “For 2020 it was given to the deputy under a stipend and this year for 2021 for increased transparency to the general public, [we chose to include it in the budget] so they’d be able to see that it’s not just a stipend hidden under the supervisor’s budget line but it’s actually what he’s getting paid.”

In addition, the preliminary 2021 budget has a slightly lower budget than this year. The grand total is $15,196,692.00 whereas this year’s adopted budget is $16,967,896.52.

One striking difference in next year’s preliminary budget is the decrease in funding for Town Sewer District #1. Only $463,880.00 is currently budgeted for next year, vastly lower than this year’s total of $783,888.00.

“It does not include the expansion design,” Brown said. “In the 2020 budget there was an expansion design for $375,000 and in the 2021 budget it does not have anything because we’ve already completed the design for our new wastewater treatment plant and we just have to work on trying to figure out some bonding issues and how we’re gonna pay for it moving forward.”

The budget for Town Water District #1 slightly decreased from this year’s budget, going from $188,142.00 to $179,397.00.

Funding for each of the fire districts remains similar to this year’s budget. There was a sizable increase of funding to the Walden Fire District. A total of $896,012.00 was budgeted this year and $930,792.00 is scheduled for next year.

A public hearing on the preliminary 2021 budget will take place Thursday, Nov. 5 at 6:30 p.m. Then the Town Board will adopt the budget on Thursday, Nov. 19 after residents have had an opportunity to view the budget and make comments.

“What I’m looking forward to is Thursday night’s discussion on council benefits,” Brown said. “That’s something I feel very strongly about, that part-timers should not get full-time health insurance.”