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Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Budget Ax Falls


As Democrats analyze the budget, some town employees found out the inevitable has occurred in the Supervisor's Budget. Several jobs in town hall are planned history. It appears that at least one of the fire marshal positions and Conservative Committee stalwart hired last year are eliminated from the 2010 budget. Other cuts appear to include a utilities inspector whose position should have long ago been abolished.

The spending gravy train has finally caught up to this town board and supervisor as the town's deficit has steadily grown to the currently estimated $149,000 projected by the Town Comptroller. That number includes $85,000 from last year and another $64.000 for this year. The Budget submitted by the Supervisor, however, does not include funds to deal with the current deficit projected for this year. That's why Evers claim that he is not raising taxes fails the smell test, since he is also ignoring making the needed cuts or tax increases to erase the projected 2009 deficit of $64,000. Hell, anyone can claim a no tax increase budget if they ignore paying for their mismanagement and bills. That's just what Evers has done in this election year budget.

The budget does deal with the deficit of $85,000 carried over from 2008 by placing the money in a contingency line. That money in part comes from long overdue cuts in payroll which contributed heavily to this years deficit. Evers and the board were warned early on this year that cuts in spending needed to take place quickly because key revenue streams were greatly diminished from anticipated projections due to the poor economy. Evers and the Board did nothing as the deficit grew and the warnings were repeated in monthly reports from the Comptroller.

So while the budget ax has finally fallen on some positions in town hall, more will have to be done to keep the deficit from growing in the 2010 plan and erasing the 2009 deficit which Evers budget simply ignores.

Town Clerk Can't Give Up Overtime Report.


Since May, the Town Clerk has been trying to hide overtime expended from her department that has added to the deficits. It's not that the records do not exist, its that the Clerk does not want them put on display during the election because she has no overtime budgeted in her department. Every penny represents funds over spent from the planned budget for her office and the number is hard to justify since most of it appears to arise from her permitting an extra employee to help her attend town board meetings.

The clerk's function at these meetings is to take minutes and pencils, as you know, are not designed for two people to hold. So, the Clerk is holding on to an overtime report provided by the comptroller's office in response to a foil request. It's a futile effort on her part that invites a lawsuit and she should realize that such reports are generally given out to many people, including board members. Stay tuned.

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