Orangetown 2014 Budget Plan Continues, Public Hearing Tonight

The Orangetown Council will continue working on its 2014 financial plan Tuesday night, just a week away from the state deadline to adopt a final budget.

The council scheduled a public hearing regarding the preliminary budget for 8:10 p.m. as part of the regular town board meeting that starts at 7:30 p.m. at Orangetown Town Hall in Orangeburg.

Supervisor Andy Stewart proposed a tentative budget in September which would put the town under the state mandated tax levy cap for 2014. The town council unanimously approved that plan as the tentative budget at its Oct. 22 meeting, but the other members of the council promised changes before the final version is adopted. That same night, the council voted against a local law that would have allowed the board to pass a budget that exceeds the tax cap, so the board must remain below the threshold as it makes changes. For more on the failed override, see this report on Patch.

Stewart once again expressed concerns that the other members of the council had not discussed their ideas for changes with him or the town finance department.

"The sooner we get them, the sooner we can provide background information or budget impact analysis," Stewart said. "My counsel to you is to use your staff. That's what they are there for."

One change that will remove an expense is the Rockland County will be taking the cost of college chargebacks back from the towns for 2013 and going forward..Stewart included $250,000 to cover the chargebacks because the change did not become official until early this month. 

Among other potential changes:

• Councilman Tom Diviny said that he does not expect the town to spend $3.5 million in fund balance, the total in the preliminary budget.
• More than one member of the council has expressed support for filling a vacant assistant building inspector position that was not funded in the 2014 preliminary budget. Stewart said during the Oct. 22 meeting that he has also reconsidered keeping the position after initially leaving it out of his tentative budget.
• The council has discussed reversing potential overtime cuts related to leaf pickup by the Orangetown Highway Department.
• Receiver of Taxes Robert Simon asked the council to fill the full-time position in his office recently left vacant. Diviny said they would be waiting to see the results of the referendum to eliminate the office as of Jan. 1, 2018 before making a decision. 
• Diviny said he expects the council to reduce funding to the town's libraries.