Time for the 2010 Town Budget

[dtwarren]

At the next TB meeting (October 5) the Supervisor is required to submit to the Town Board his tentative budget. Thereafter one or more public hearings will be held.

Now is the time for all those who voted yes at the special election to eliminate two board members to show your resolve and show up at what are the most important meetings of the year and be part of the process.

[WNYresident]

Is the amount of money, over $13,000,000 or more, for the Ice Rink the supervisor is working with the hockey association included in the 2010 budget?

[dtwarren]

There does not appear to be any funding in this budget fo any new ice rink so if it is to go forward the money for it would need to be raised through borrowing/bonding.

The Supervisor's proposed budget is available at: http://www.westseneca.net/budget.html

[WNYresident]

So if they bond/borrow that would cause everyone's property taxes to increase?

How many tax paying homes/businesses are there in WS?

[gorja]

Question?

Is the clerk in your comptroller's office expected to take on extra duties in 2010? I'm asking because the 2009 budgeted salary is $28,919 and the 2010 budgeted salary for that position is $40,446.
That's a 40% increase.

[WNYresident]

Question?

Is the clerk in your comptroller's office expected to take on extra duties in 2010? I'm asking because the 2009 budgeted salary is $28,919 and the 2010 budgeted salary for that position is $40,446.
That's a 40% increase.

Does that include health care cost increases?

What is this clerk doing? Like counter help? So now I'm going to go to the root. What does Mcdonalds pay for counter help? Some people basically only take an order and then file it... paper shuffling at best... why do we pay some of the employees more than what they could get working anywhere else?

[Pumpkinhead]

Well, I'm not impressed. There have been no meaningful cuts, no belt-tightening. That budget should be reduced by 5%. Why does the Supervisor need his own bookkeeper? He should not have his own books to keep! He should be going to the Comptroller for that. His secretary's salary is an outrage.

You know what the story will be on the ice rink - it will pay for itself! Fees, sale of advertising, concession stand, tournaments; don't worry, the taxpayer won't feel a thing!

[dtwarren]

One issue I have is that although I support the plan to enter into a CAP I think including the projected savings from it prior to it being approved and put in place is not prudent. This is the type of conduct that lead to the counties budget issues and a control board.

[dtwarren]

A Public Hearing on the Ad Valorem Budget and the Benefit Basis Budget is scheduled for Thursday, October 22nd at 7:00 PM in the Town Hall Courtroom.

A Public Hearing to adopt the Ad Valorem Budget and the Benefit Basis Budget is scheduled for Thursday, October 29th at 7:00 PM in the Town Hall Courtroom.

[dtwarren]

As expected it was the usual low turn out for this hearing. Where are those citizens in our community that are so concerned about taxes that they downsized the town board? Where were the candidates running for town offices, or sought to to run for town offices, on the premises of reducing expenses? This is the only time for the public to question these expenses and revenue estimates.

[wnyfuture]

As expected it was the usual low turn out for this hearing. Where are those citizens in our community that are so concerned about taxes that they downsized the town board? Where were the candidates running for town offices, or sought to to run for town offices, on the premises of reducing expenses? This is the only time for the public to question these expenses and revenue estimates.

Going to the town budget hearing is as useful as speaking at the town board meeting for 3 minutes, which is not very useful in my opinion.

People voted for downsizing for many reasons, the savings isn't the reason everyone wanted downsizing so that isn't very relevant to bring up. Honestly, what could be accomplished by attending a budget hearing?

If people wanted really change and real savings, we would do the same thing kevin gaughan did with the downsizing, walk the streets, go door-to-door and make real change.

I think in my own opinion, kevin gaughan wanted people to want to make change on their own, perhaps turn this region around. I can think of a few things myself that I would love to see downsized, merged, or eliminated all together.

If we wanted real savings, we would dissolve town police, use Erie County or State Troopers as our police service. Privatize our garbage services, among few other things that could go away but we don't want that so we will continue to try and save a few dollars a year by changing the insurance plans, etc.

[4248]

Going to the town budget hearing is as useful as speaking at the town board meeting for 3 minutes, which is not very useful in my opinion.

People voted for downsizing for many reasons, the savings isn't the reason everyone wanted downsizing so that isn't very relevant to bring up. Honestly, what could be accomplished by attending a budget hearing?

If people wanted really change and real savings, we would do the same thing Kevin Gaughan did with the downsizing, walk the streets, go door-to-door and make real change.

I think in my own opinion, Kevin Gaughan wanted people to want to make change on their own, perhaps turn this region around. I can think of a few things myself that I would love to see downsized, merged, or eliminated all together.

If we wanted real savings, we would dissolve town police, use Erie County or State Troopers as our police service. Privatize our garbage services, among few other things that could go away but we don't want that so we will continue to try and save a few dollars a year by changing the insurance plans, etc.

Its all part of the game - they say, "we want residents to get involved" - but they have no true impact on the out come.
The Party Guys want, "Everyone should join the Party" - sure wave their banner - support their guys and go home and write the check.

Do better or get out of the way!

[dtwarren]

Over the last several years things have changed and they have changed in direct reaction to public participation in our town government.

For example the format of the budget has changed in direct response to public input over the last few years to allow the public to better analyze it and compare future projections against past actual expenditures and receivables. The grant agreement with WNY Americorps came to a an before previously anticipated and agreed it would. Various contracts that were previously entered into without going through the competitive bidding process were put out to bid. This list is not exhaustive but merely some examples.

Some things did not occur as fast as the public wanted, but they did occur. Some did not occur in exactly the way some wanted it, but it happened.

Not all of us citizens received what we pushed for, but that does not mean that participation in government does not work it just means that we were in the minority in a form of government that is governed by majority rule.

Those who are afflicted with short attention spans and act only on soundbites tend to get frustrated with government participation than those who recognize that it takes numbers acting consistently to effect change. It is the classic tortoise and the hare metaphor.

In my opinion those who do not participate in their government have no standing to criticize how it acts.