From this week's Lancaster Bee
Lancaster Town’s tentative budget filed
by AMY ROBB Editor
Public hearings were set at Monday night’s Town Board meeting to discuss the Town of Lancaster’s tentative operating budget and special districts budget. Both hearings will be held at 7:15 p.m. Monday, Oct. 16.
Supervisor Johanna Coleman briefly discussed the tentative budget during public comment, advising that the plan is currently $727 under the tax cap.
“It is a challenge to continue to provide a high level of service to our residents while limiting the financial impacts. As our town continues to grow, so do the needs of our residents. It was my goal to remain under the New York State’s Real Property Tax Cap, and this budget does just that,” Coleman said in a letter to the board dated Friday.
The tentative budget totals an estimated $9.7 million, with $7.16 million to be raised by taxation. Compared to the previous year’s adopted budget, that amount is a difference of $296,832. The tax rate would increase by 5 cents, to $2.43 per $1,000 of a property’s assessed valuation.
The supervisor outlined what was made a priority while putting together the tentative budget, including infrastructure, landmarks such as the historical museum and library, and repairs within the Parks Department and Highway:
“This year and over the next several years we are conducting much-needed repairs to our infrastructure. Several waterline projects are under way; repairs are being done to many of the bridges and culverts in the town and both villages. The long-neglected Historical Museum on Clark Street will receive a new roof and portico, the Lancaster Library will receive funding to repair the restrooms, new roofs are planned for the picnic shelters in Westwood and Walden Pond parks, extremely old heavy equipment is being replaced in the Highway and Parks departments, drainage work has been a prime focus this year, and three of the town’s four union contracts have been settled.”
Under the tentative budget, four full-time positions were added, including one Highway Department laborer, a police lieutenant, one building inspector and one laborer in the Parks Department.
A salary adjustment was also made in the budget, to allow the lead dog control officer full-time rather than part-time status.
For the full tentative budget, visit
www.lancasterny.gov and go to “Government,” then “Town Budgets.” The 2018 tentative budget is the last PDF file.
http://www.lancasterbee.com/news/201...get_filed.html