ROTTERDAM
Town budget with tax cut is proposed
BY NED CAMPBELL Gazette Reporter

   Reach Gazette reporter Ned Campbell at 395-3134, ncampbell@dailygazette  . net or @nedcampbell on Twitter.
   It’s hardly news when an upstate New York municipality raises taxes.

   On Wednesday, however, Rotterdam Town Supervisor Harry Buffardi presented a tentative budget for 2015 that would lower them.

   The $22.50 million spending plan would cut the town property tax bill by $60.71 for a home assessed at $173,456, the town’s average.

   “This has certainly been a difficult budget process,” Buffardi said. “Certainly we have rising costs, rising issues, and it’s difficult to keep our governments afloat with mandated issues that we have; however, we have made it through with substantially good results this year.”

   Buffardi said the budget was balanced with some “belt tightening and some process changes” such as outsourcing the town’s paramedic program to a private company last year.

   He said instituting a new $50 brush pickup fee and increasing the flat water fee from $25 to $75, decisions made in February, also paid off.

   “The leaf and brush fee that some people call a tax, some people call a fee — I don’t really care what you call it. … It is something that is paid for by the users,” he said “It is starting to bear fruit now, and it is starting to help us in the budget process.”

   John Paolino, a financial consultant to the town who presented the tentative spending plan, said the budget uses $566,000 from the fund balance, the rainy day fund of unspent money from previous tax years, which currently stands at roughly $1.6 million.

   “That’s down $200,000 from last year, so we’re beginning to try to back off of continually using that fund balance,” he said.

   He said the plan also requires $581,695 in payroll reductions, which will be discussed with department heads during upcoming budget meetings.

   Paolino agreed with Buffardi that the brush pickup fee and the water fee increase were necessary.

   “Those changes that the supervisor made had to be made, and you’re probably looking at more changes in the future,” he said. “I don’t think you’re gonna find another town where they’re gonna say their taxes go down.”

   Town Board member Joe Villano questioned Paolino on that prediction, however.

   “The town tax rate in Milton actually can’t go down; it’s at zero,” he said. “The town of Wilton, their effective general tax rate is zero. The town of Clifton Park, their general tax rate is zero. …The town of Charlton pays negative town taxation.”

   Buffardi later came to Paolino’s defense.

   “With all due respect, I think it’s a little bit unfair to compare the town of Rotterdam to the town of Charlton, the town of Wilton, the town of Clifton Park, for several reasons,” he said, adding that those municipalities are in a different county, don’t all have sewer and water and are benefiting from increased tourism and growing business base.

   The Town Board is expected to have a public hearing for the preliminary budget Wednesday, Oct. 22. The budget must be approved by the board by Nov. 20.

Fake tax cut.

Cut $60 from a $173,000 home, while adding a $50 brush tax and adding $50 to your water tax.

I certainly hope they don't hurt themselves patting each other on the back.

Quoted Text

He said instituting a new $50 brush pickup fee and increasing the flat water fee from $25 to $75, decisions made in February, also paid off.

   “The leaf and brush fee that some people call a tax, some people call a fee — I don’t really care what you call it. … It is something that is paid for by the users,” he said “It is starting to bear fruit now, and it is starting to help us in the budget process.”

no one asked for the brush pickup.....it was a selling point to get income from users OUTSIDE of Rotterdam.....not to mention there's the
brush dump in Glenville....if a business doesn't make it,,,,,,IT CLOSES.

sorry if your family works there but obviously we can't afford it......it's a ponzi

you said it Senders......the only people benefiting in this town are the relatives working in all departments....and Paolino......cut him from the budget and

save even more.....and the question being.....who will be getting raises as usual....??/   and the double and triple dippers......cut them....save $$$$$'s

Quoted from Libertarian4life

Fake tax cut.

Cut $60 from a $173,000 home, while adding a $50 brush tax and adding $50 to your water tax.

I certainly hope they don't hurt themselves patting each other on the back.

You are correct....not to mention that the county is also going to raise taxes.
Taxes...Fees....don't matter...it still is the cost of doing business in ROTTENdam!
so no matter how you spew it....ROTTENdamians will be paying MORE.

Quoted Text

He said the plan also requires $581,695 in payroll reductions, which will be discussed with department heads during upcoming budget meetings.

Does this include the rpd??

“With all due respect, I think it’s a little bit unfair to compare the town of Rotterdam to the town of Charlton, the town of Wilton, the town of Clifton Park, for several reasons,” he said, adding that those municipalities are in a different county, don’t all have sewer and water and are benefiting from increased tourism and growing business base."

Not to mention that these towns get the rest of the taxpayers across the state to pay for their police protection by using the State Police instead of a municipal police department.

I haven't looked at the specifics of the budget.  However as a taxpayer, I am very happy to see that town taxes will not be going up this year.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

I haven't looked at the specifics of the budget.  However as a taxpayer, I am very happy to see that town taxes will not be going up this year.

BUT THEY DID GO UP!! They went up in ROTTENdam fees!!! Couple that with a county increase and THEY MOST CERTAINLY DID go up!

Quoted from bumblethru

BUT THEY DID GO UP!! They went up in ROTTENdam fees!!! Couple that with a county increase and THEY MOST CERTAINLY DID go up!

First, there is absolutely nothing "rotten" about Rotterdam.  You and the other nayboobs insist on degrading and disrespecting the name of our community.  It is obvious that if you are willing to sh*t on the place where you live that you don't care about it.  That makes it difficult for those of us who do care and even love Rotterdam to take your constant complaints seriously.

Second, if the town tax rate hasn't gone up then the town tax rate hasn't gone up.  If the county tax rate goes up - that is a different tax - and a different subject.  As it is proposed, the county tax rate would be goingup less than 2%.  I haven't looked at the specifics of the county budget and am not taking a position - at the moment - either favorable or unfavorable on the budget.

As for user fees, the people who use the serve pay for the service.  That is eminently fair.  Our family has NEVER used the town's brush/leaf pick up service and never will.  Why should we pay for an unnecessary service?  Those who use the service should pay for the service.  Personally, I would prefer that the town get out of the brush/leaf pick up business all together.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

As for user fees, the people who use the serve pay for the service.  That is eminently fair.  Our family has NEVER used the town's brush/leaf pick up service and never will.  Why should we pay for an unnecessary service?  Those who use the service should pay for the service.  Personally, I would prefer that the town get out of the brush/leaf pick up business all together.

You are paying for the brush service, just 50 bucks less than those using it.  

Quoted from CICERO

You are paying for the brush service, just 50 bucks less than those using it.  

EXACTLY!!!

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

As for user fees, the people who use the serve pay for the service.  That is eminently fair.  Our family has NEVER used the town's brush/leaf pick up service and never will.  Why should we pay for an unnecessary service?  Those who use the service should pay for the service.  Personally, I would prefer that the town get out of the brush/leaf pick up business all together.

DIMWIWT.  

Proof you are not a taxpayer and too ignorant to be one.  

We do NOT have a streetlight on our property, so WHY are we paying a tax for streetlights on other peoples properties?  e have our own lamp post on our front lawn--WE paid out of pocket for the lamp post, WE paid for it's installation, WE pay for the lightbulbs, WE pay for the electric bill associated with it.   We use the light on the front door and on each side of the garage door too.   So WHY should we pay a lighting tax?    JWe don't live there so we don't know, but now curious, do people who live in Coldbrook pay the same lighting tax that people outside of Coldbrook do?


We do NOT go to/use the senior center, so why do we pay for that service?   Got an answer?

We are on septic, so do we pay a lower rate of highway tax than people who have town sewers, since the highway dept maintains sewers?  

We don't have a dog right now, so WHY do we pay for animal control?

Quoted from CICERO

You are paying for the brush service, just 50 bucks less than those using it.  

So true, but a NON-TAXPAYER like DV would not understand.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

I haven't looked at the specifics of the budget.  However as a taxpayer, I am very happy to see that town taxes will not be going up this year.

DV, let's get this corrected.  

You are NOT a taxpayer and here is the EVIDENCE from OFFICIAL records of the whole county itself.   One who is a taxpayer has their name on the tax rolls, writes out the check to the town, files for the STAR exemption with the STATE of NY, and is eligible to deduct taxes on their tax return.   You meet NONE of the above.

There is NOT ONE property in the whole county of Schenectady owned by you, not even a taxpayer anywhere in the whole county with the same last name as your.






And most likely with your little job you get all your tax withheld back in a refund

we have a friend who's daughter lives with her. The daughter will inherit the home when the mom dies.

and even tho it is still in the mom's name....the daughter is responsible for ALL the bills/taxes/fees...etc.

so even tho the daughter is not an actual homeowner...yet......she is paying all of the bills/taxes/fees.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

“
Not to mention that these towns get the rest of the taxpayers across the state to pay for their police protection by using the State Police instead of a municipal police department.

So lets get rid of the RPD and have the State Police patrol Rotterdam as well!