A public hearing to discuss the Inlet Town Budget for the 2013 fiscal year was held Wednesday, November 7. Following the hearing, the budget was approved and will now be put into action as the acting budget.
According to Inlet Town Supervisor John Frey, all of the town departments were able to stay under the two percent tax cap imposed by the state, and property taxes will only be raised by 14 cents per thousand of assessed value.
The General Fund has been raised by $0.09 per thousand, the Highway Fund by $0.04 per thousand, and funding for the Fire Department fund was only raised by $0.01 per thousand, Frey said.
The largest issues in creating the budget, he said, were those related to large, state mandated requirements involving workmen’s compensation, health insurance, and New York State Retirement.
However, he said, the Town of Inlet was able to save a substantial amount of money by switching its liability insurer as well as by completing some projects that had been budgeted for in the past.
Additionally, the town was left with a $9,300 allowance that had been left over from last year.
“The major change in the budget was that we wanted to separate snowmobiling to let it split out on its own as well as to separate the Youth Commission from Recreation,” Frey said.
The only large improvement plans currently in the budget are to complete the entrance to the Assessor and Codes Office, and to re-carpet and create handicap accessible fire accesses to the backside of the Senior Room.
“We are trying to do what Governor Cuomo requested and live within our means,” Frey said, “And once we get the belt tightened, it’s easy to keep it tight.”
