February 19th Town Board meeting agenda / resolutions

[Lee Chowaniec]

Governor Cuomo has a $2 billion shortfall, laments losing the lucrative Amazon contract (while his progressive-socialist cohorts dance in the streets) and will attempt to offset budget spending shortfalls off the backs of state municipality taxpayers. Running out of rich individuals and corporations to tax, Andy?

Perhaps it’s time for the town to rein in its spending. The 2019 budget increased by 4.74%.

Resolution #4 – Memorialize Various Officials Re Elimination of AIM Funding.

WHEREAS, Governor’s Cuomo’s proposed 2020 NYS Budget includes unprecedented cuts to unrestricted State Revenue Sharing program known as Aid and Incentives to Municipalities (AIM) in the amount of 49 million for all municipalities in the State of New York, effectivity eliminating the program, and

WHEREAS, this proposed cut would result in a loss of $121,895 from the Town of Lancaster’s general budget, and

WHEREAS, funding has not been increased in the last several years as unfunded mandates and cost of Town and Village services have risen, and

WHEREAS, if these cuts go through, a shocking 91% of Towns and Villages will permanently lose their AIM funding, and

WHEREAS, incentives for shared services, consolidation, and infrastructure remediation directed by consent orders in no way replace the needed financial assistance to fund and manage the increasing costs of day to day services and capital projects needed in sustainable Town and Village planning and management, and

WHEREAS, the proposal to eliminate AIM funding unfairly punishes State residents, making financial planning aligned with the NYS Tax Cap virtually impossible and

WHEREAS, the Governor is proposing to make the Tax Cap permanent, discontinue the $65 Million in Extreme Winter Recovery Program and proposes no increase for CHIPs funding, for which there has been widespread vocal support, and

WHEREAS, the proposal to eliminate AIM funding is not proactive, but a method to cut a small percent from the State Budget, yet a significant amount of revenue to Town and Village budgets.


NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the Town of Lancaster strongly opposes the elimination of AIM funding, and

FURTHER RESOLVED, the AIM funding benefits all of our residents not only in the Town of Lancaster but throughout New York State and eliminating it could result in reduction of services, program cuts and layoffs. Every dollar that the State shared is a dollar that doesn’t have to be levied on backs of local taxpayers, and

BE IT FURTHER, RESOLVED that a certified copy of this resolution be forwarded to Honorable Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, Honorable Senator Patrick Gallivan and Honorable Assemblywoman Monica Wallace.

[gorja]

Also in the Communications

Chief of Police Gerald J. Gill, Jr. to Town Board –
Notice of intent to retire effective March 1, 2019, and endorsement of
Captain Marco Laurienzo to succeed him as Chief of Police.

[Lee Chowaniec]

Also in the Communications

Chief of Police Gerald J. Gill, Jr. to Town Board –
Notice of intent to retire effective March 1, 2019, and endorsement of
Captain Marco Laurienzo to succeed him as Chief of Police.

How nice that the town approved a 6.3% salary increase (from $118,691 to $126,165) in the 2019 budget to give the Chief a nice pension send off.

The two Captains didn't do too bad as well - 7.1% wage increases (from $99,269 to $106,359). What does the Erie County Sheriff earn?


There is also a resolution to increase the number of SRO from two to three Tuesday evening. It reads:

WHEREAS, in February 2008, the Town of Lancaster (Town) and the Lancaster Central School District (District) entered into an agreement for the assignment of up to two town Police Officers to serve as School Resource Officers (SRO) at Lancaster High School and Lancaster Middle School, and

WHEREAS, based on the success of the program, the Town and the District wish to provide for the assignment of up to a third SRO to a school mutually agreed upon between the District and the Lancaster Police Department,


I was an advocate for the School District to get two SRO'S. When I requested that the second hiring be conditioned on the District or Police issuing an annual report which would allow for benchmarking success rate, it was agreed that report would be forthcoming. It never happened. I hope someone will ask the board Tuesday what they base their program success on - lowering substance use, bullying, etc.

More likely than not one would be told that privacy policies don't allow for that information to be made public. If so, it would be a shame that taxpayers could not find out how their money is being spent.

This increased spending kind of trivializes the loss of $121,895 from the Town of Lancaster’s general budget because of the State AIM reduction.

[gorja]

Originally posted by Lee Chowaniec:
How nice that the town approved a 6.3% salary increase (from $118,691 to $126,165) in the 2019 budget to give the Chief a nice pension send off.

Isn't he only getting 2 months pay at the rate? Or do they use the yearly salary to compute the pension?

[gorja]

Governor Cuomo has a $2 billion shortfall, laments losing the lucrative Amazon contract (while his progressive-socialist cohorts dance in the streets) and will attempt to offset budget spending shortfalls off the backs of state municipality taxpayers. Running out of rich individuals and corporations to tax, Andy?

Perhaps it’s time for the town to rein in its spending. The 2019 budget increased by 4.74%.

Resolution #4 – Memorialize Various Officials Re Elimination of AIM Funding.

WHEREAS, Governor’s Cuomo’s proposed 2020 NYS Budget includes unprecedented cuts to unrestricted State Revenue Sharing program known as Aid and Incentives to Municipalities (AIM) in the amount of 49 million for all municipalities in the State of New York, effectivity eliminating the program, and

WHEREAS, this proposed cut would result in a loss of $121,895 from the Town of Lancaster’s general budget, and

WHEREAS, funding has not been increased in the last several years as unfunded mandates and cost of Town and Village services have risen, and

WHEREAS, if these cuts go through, a shocking 91% of Towns and Villages will permanently lose their AIM funding, and

WHEREAS, incentives for shared services, consolidation, and infrastructure remediation directed by consent orders in no way replace the needed financial assistance to fund and manage the increasing costs of day to day services and capital projects needed in sustainable Town and Village planning and management, and

WHEREAS, the proposal to eliminate AIM funding unfairly punishes State residents, making financial planning aligned with the NYS Tax Cap virtually impossible and

WHEREAS, the Governor is proposing to make the Tax Cap permanent, discontinue the $65 Million in Extreme Winter Recovery Program and proposes no increase for CHIPs funding, for which there has been widespread vocal support, and

WHEREAS, the proposal to eliminate AIM funding is not proactive, but a method to cut a small percent from the State Budget, yet a significant amount of revenue to Town and Village budgets.


NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the Town of Lancaster strongly opposes the elimination of AIM funding, and

FURTHER RESOLVED, the AIM funding benefits all of our residents not only in the Town of Lancaster but throughout New York State and eliminating it could result in reduction of services, program cuts and layoffs. Every dollar that the State shared is a dollar that doesn’t have to be levied on backs of local taxpayers, and

BE IT FURTHER, RESOLVED that a certified copy of this resolution be forwarded to Honorable Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, Honorable Senator Patrick Gallivan and Honorable Assemblywoman Monica Wallace.

Supervisor Coleman stated last night that the governor's office had called and they were reinstating those monies. They still voted to adopt the resolution.