Croghan budget spending down

BEAVER FALLS — The 2010 Croghan town budget will decrease spending by 6.8 percent and the overall tax levy by 14.3 percent.

"We know it's hard for people," town Supervisor John G. Jones said. "We wanted to set an example."

The budget, which the Town Council adopted Oct. 26, includes a tax levy, or amount to be raised by property taxes, of $1.05 million, down $173,782 from this year's $1.22 million. Town officials project a drop in the townwide tax rate from $2.51 per $1,000 of assessed value to $2.08 per $1,000. That's a 17.1 percent decrease.

The spending plan uses $301,000 from the town's general, highway and Beaver Falls lighting district reserve funds to lower taxes.

That's up from $277,500 in the 2009 budget.

The budget will drop overall spending by $128,786, from $1.89 million to $1.77 million.

Non-property-tax revenues are expected to increase by $21,495.62, from $397,930.45 to $419,426.07.

Mortgage tax receipts are projected to come in at $30,000, while the 2009 budget anticipated only $20,000. Dog license fee receipts also are projected to increase, from $3,000 to $5,000, following a townwide dog enumeration done over the past couple of years.

The 2010 budget also anticipates $10,000 in state aid. Mr. Jones said he failed to include that projected revenue in the 2009 budget, his first as supervisor, while the town received $13,000 this year.

The budget decreases contractual expenses for snow removal from $233,000 to $200,000 and for road repairs from $280,000 to $175,000. The latter will limit the number of gravel roads that are converted to blacktop, Mr. Jones said.

Salaries also were frozen for all town employees except unionized highway workers, who have raises built into their labor contract, he said.

Funding for the Croghan and Beaver Falls public libraries was cut from $3,500 to $2,000 each, and money for the American Maple Museum and the Railroad Historical Society of Northern New York was dropped from $500 to $400 each.

Mr. Jones, who is not running for election to a second term, said the budget cuts are not being made because he is leaving office at the end of the year. Instead, the supervisor said, he and board members were trying to give a break to struggling town residents, particularly dairy farmers.

"We've just got to show people that we're willing to cut back," Mr. Jones said. "I think we really leaned up our budget."

The town's contribution to the state retirement system is expected to increase from $49,000 to $56,000, while interest earnings are projected to drop from $19,000 to $9,000.

"There are a lot of things we can't control," Mr. Jones said.

Mr. Jones commended the Beaver Falls Fire District for requesting a cut in funding from $109,544 to $104,460.

Funding for the Croghan Fire Department will remain stable at $69,300, while the other three departments serving the town will see small increases: Castorland from $26,000 to $29,000, Carthage from $12,000 to $14,000 and Natural Bridge from $8,500 to $10,000.

The Croghan ambulance squad will see an increase from $8,400 to $8,800, while Beaver Falls ambulance squad funding will rise from $8,000 to $9,000. The town also included a first-year contribution of $2,000 to the Natural Bridge ambulance squad in its 2010 budget.

BY THE NUMBERS

Town of Croghan adopted budget:

■ Budget: $1,765,828.07, down $128,786.38 (6.8 percent)

/ Tax levy: $1,045,402, down $173,782 (14.3 percent)

/ Townwide tax rate per $1,000 of assessed value: $2.08, down 43 cents (17.1 percent)

Tax levy breakdown:

■ Townwide: $388,842, down $78,198 (16.7 percent)

/ Outside village: $391,900, down 98,500 (20.1 percent)

/ Special districts: $264,600, up $2,916 (1.1 percent)