VERONA'S TOWN RECORDS FINALLY UP-TO-DATE:

Even though he faced criticism for hiring his son to help the Town of Verona catch up on filing financial information with the state comptroller, Supervisor Owen Waller said the job is complete and the town is ready to make positive changes in 2007.

And it took a year but the town is all caught up with its annual update documents, which hadn't been filed since 2002.

When Waller took office in January he said the previous supervisor left him in quite a predicament with erased hard drives and financial records haphazardly thrown in storage boxes.
...
He explained that part of the problem was an "archaic" program that was being used to do the books.
The Town of Verona looked to other comparable municipalities to find a program better suited to their needs.
Enhanced Business Systems was installed in March of 2006 and Waller said that now they know exactly where the money is every month.

"The new program provides supervisory reports, abstracts-all the forms necessary for this level of municipal government," he said.

Another new program that has been implemented is a new time clock with a hand scanner for the highway department. The system ties in to the computer in the office so it's easy to tell who is available.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 11:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here's an interesting article surveying town budgets in the Poughkeepsie area: MUNICIPALITIES TAPPING SURPLUS. Two trends spotted: (1) increased spending from reserves, and (2) higher Highway Department costs.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 03:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

TOWN GROWS, THRIVES WITHOUT TAX ON PROPERTY:

A part-time sheriff's deputy, new recreation fields and highway improvements are among the initiatives called for in Wilton's proposed $6.45 million budget for 2007.

For residents, the obvious highlight is the absence of local town taxes for the 24th straight year.

Fueled by strong sales tax revenues and a 2 percent spending increase, officials had little trouble preparing a budget that reflects Wilton's unprecedented run of financial success.

'We're in good shape,' said Supervisor Art Johnson. 'The economy in Saratoga County continues to be strong, which means more revenues for everyone. We try to be financially responsible with spending, yet provide the services people expect in a town like this.'
...
As an indication of Wilton's strong fiscal condition, total assessed value went up $400 million (32 percent) from 2004 to 2006, according to figures released Thursday by assessor Marge Little. Assessed value (using 100 percent valuation figures) is now $1.6 billion, and retail firms in the Exit 15 Route 50 corridor account for 17 percent of this.
...
Mortgage tax continues to be another strong revenue source with numerous residential projects getting under way. The town has gotten $800,000 in mortgage tax this year, about $250,000 more than projected.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 09:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A cautionary tale: VERONA FINANCE REPORTS YEARS IN ARREARS:

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 08:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ESTIMATE OF DEFICIT DOWNSIZED:

Amherst's disputed budget deficit may be a bit smaller than first projected, according to the town comptroller's office.

In a brief report Monday to the Town Board, representatives, led by newly appointed Comptroller Frank A. Belliotti, estimated the shortfall at $3.3 million - $700,000 less than the $4 million initially projected.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 07:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

TOWN OFFICIALS CONSIDER CONSOLIDATION ISSUES:

Local governments are again trying to get the ball rolling on consolidation, but how far the ball rolls remains to be seen.

Renewed dialogue on the subject was kicked off Tuesday at a day-long forum that attracted more than 100 business, community and government leaders to SUNY Institute of Technology. At the end of the afternoon session for town and city leaders, 21 mayors and supervisors signed a pledge "to meet and begin to plan projects to attack three priority areas and measure our performance in those three areas." Health insurance, information technology and purchasing will be put under the microscope.
...
Charles Zettek of the Rochester-based Center for Governmental Research likes the three topics the group settled on to examine first.
"They’re areas that cut across every level of government," he said following the program.
He agrees with the Westmoreland and Lee supervisors that governments need to be assured that they can opt out when there are no clear-cut savings for their particular bodies.
But, he adds even a small savings across the board when combining services sends an important message.
"You’re making a change in the right direction," he said. "It communicates that public officials are trying to make improvements. That’s a big difference."

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 09:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CICERO BORROWS FOR ROAD IMPROVEMENTS:

Cicero councilors did something Monday they haven't been able to do for a few years: borrow money.

Councilors voted 5-0 to borrow $2.9 million to rebuild three town-owned roads in the commercial area surrounding Market Place shopping plaza. The money will be paid back over 15 years.

"It doesn't necessarily feel good to borrow money, but at least now we have that option and we'll be able to get some things done," Cicero Supervisor Chester Dudzinski said before the meeting.

The town has been unable to borrow money on the nation's bond market since November 2003, when the then-owner of the Cicero Commons defaulted on a $516,000 bond payment. After the default, the town board refused to honor an agreement that made the town legally responsible for the shortfall.

The town board eventually honored the agreement and paid the $246,000 to make up the shortfall, but not until Wall Street punished the town by lowering its bond rating from an investment-grade A3 rating to a junk rating, Baa2.

Last month, Fitch Ratings re-examined the town's finances and improved Cicero's rating to an investment-grade BBB.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 10:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

TOWN HEALTH SWITCH MAY SAVE MILLIONS:

An agreement between the town and its five bargaining units that will allow the town to bring all of the unions under one health care provider is expected to save the town $2.3 million during the next two years.

The Town Board could ratify the new three-year contracts at its May 9 work session. All five unions have already voted to accept the deal, which provides raises of 2.75 percent for each year.

According to Councilmember Jeff Swiatek, the benefit levels are "substantially the same" as they were with existing plans.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 12:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

TOWN ENDS INSURANCE BATTLE, DISBANDS BROKERS COMMITTEE:

The insurance war is over in Orchard Park. For now.

And the town is no longer paying for insurance on a non-existent water department.

The Town Board has disbanded Orchard Park's insurance brokers committee and appointed two agents to represent the town.

The board approved a contract Tuesday night that will save the town at least $130,000 over last year's $500,000-plus coverage for liability insurance.

"The town saves a substantial amount of money because a company that refused to write insurance for Orchard Park in the past decided to get in the market," said Councilman Stanley Jemiolo Jr. "For some reason they now have [gone into that market]."

The town also will be reimbursed $29,000 from last year's insurance contract because its carrier charged the town for insuring a water department that was dissolved when the Erie County Water Authority took over operations in 2004.

The town also will receive a prorated share of its 2004 premiums for the part of the year after the department was dissolved, said Supervisor Mary Travers Murphy.

The insurance coverage has been an issue of contention between Travers Murphy and the members of the board since March, when she issued a report criticizing the committee system.
. Jemiolo said the town has since received an opinion from the New York State Association of Towns that the situation was improper.

"They said if you appoint a committee, they're officers of the town," he said, which creates a potential conflict with receiving income from the accounts. "Now what they want us to do is appoint agents . . . It's a matter of semantics in some regards."

I'd like to read the Association of Town's opinion if someone could e-mail it to me, and woud be happy to post it online.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 02:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)