By CASEY RYAN VOCK
BEEKMANTOWN — The tax levy for the highway fund and special districts is up more than 4 percent in the Town of Beekmantown's preliminary 2010 budget.
The tax levy, which is the amount to be raised by taxes, is $829,993 in 2010, up from $796,110 this year.
The total appropriations in the proposed town budget amount to $3,070,156, a 1.59-percent increase from the 2009 budget.
Total revenues for 2010 amount to $2,038,996, a 4-percent increase from this year.
The total assessed value for Beekmantown is $382,519,370, with $57,033,610 of that being tax exempt.
FUNDS APPLIED
Beekmantown has no taxes for the general fund.
"We've had enough fund balance that we can appropriate enough of it to keep the tax rate down," said town accountant William VanStockum.
"We also take our sales tax up front and use it to offset the tax rate. We get our sales tax on a quarterly basis as revenue. We apply that to reduce the town tax rate to zero, and we use some of it to reduce the highway tax rate also."
In 2010, the town will appropriate $181,774 in unused funds to the general fund and $19,143 to the highway fund.
GENERAL FUND
Appropriations for the general fund for 2010 amount to $1,439,151, which is an increase of 1.1 percent from this year. Several factors are contributing to the increased allotment.
Attorney expenses, in the form of contractual expenses, are expected to increase to $11,000 in 2010, up from $6,000 this year.
"That's for mostly lawsuits with the windmills," VanStockum said. "That's just because we don't know what the status will be."
Insurance costs in the general fund are also expected to rise $2,600 to $55,000, which VanStockum considers a normal increase.
Employee benefits will also drive up general-fund expenses. The cost of medical insurance is expected to rise to $51,030 from $39,578 this year.
Elections are also contributing to the increase in general-fund appropriations. Contractual expenses related to elections in 2010 will increase from $9,088 this year to $22,720 next year.
"The Board of Elections told me to plan on two and a half times more than this year," VanStockum said. "It could have to do with their new machines, but I am not sure. I don't like it, but the county bills me for it."
HIGHWAY FUND
The tax levy in the highway fund is up 4 percent to $481,713. However, the highway-fund tax rate won't increase because of the fund balance money being applied.
Appropriations in that fund will rise to $1,220,414 in 2010, up 1.1 percent from this year.
That is partly due to employee benefits, which are expected to cost the town $182,150 in 2010, compared to $165,398 this year.
VanStockum said health-insurance costs will increase.
"The other thing going up — not so much this year but next year — is the retirement contribution from the town," VanStockum said. "The highway retirement went up about $4,000 (for 2010), so it's not critical this year, but next year it's going to be big."
Another increased expense will be snow removal, which will be $425,604 in 2010, up from $421,082 this year.
"Fuel, salt — these kinds of things have all gone up in price," VanStockum said. "There is a possibility we may have to buy a truck next year, but we have enough funds set aside to pay for it."
RAISES
The town supervisor, assessors, highway superintendent and Town Hall employees will receive a 3-percent pay increase in 2010.
Town Council members and town justices will not get raises in 2010.
Highway Department employee pay for next year will be negotiated through their contract, according to VanStockum.
"The new contract year starts Jan. 1, so we don't know yet."
SPECIAL DISTRICTS
Residents will not see a tax-rate change in the Beekmantown Fire District, but the rate will rise in the Beekmantown Fire Protection District.
The Fire District's levy will increase 4 percent to $176,500 in 2010, while the rate paid will remain 66 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value.
The Fire Protection levy is up more than 8 percent to $36,600 in 2010. The tax rate in the Fire Protection District will increase 3 cents to 45 cents per $1,000.
Residents will see tax rates drop in Beekmantown's two water districts, despite an increased tax levy in both districts.
The Southeast Beekmantown Water District tax rate in 2010 will drop 14 cents to $2.49 per $1,000. The levy in the fund will go up less than 1 percent to $88,318.
The Route 9 Spellman Road Water District tax rate will decrease 10 cents to $4.25, while the levy in that fund will increase 10 percent to $46,862.
"In these small districts, very small changes give you big increases in the levy," VanStockum said. "But there have been people added to some districts, so the average person might not see that much of a change."
VOTE MONDAY
A public hearing to discuss the budget was held Nov. 5.
The Town Council will vote on the budget at 7 p.m. Monday at the Town Hall in Beekmantown.
