Riga officials to present budget

Riga officials to present budget

With less than a month to go, Town of Riga officials spent a majority of the regular board meeting on November 28 going through -- line-by-line -- items in the proposed 2007 town budget.

Because the town receives funds from the Millseat Landfill, taxes are not levied on Riga taxpayers. "There will be no real property taxes collected, so no tax rate is set," Town Supervisor Pamela Moore said in an e-mail following the meeting.

Moore said she was pleased with the budget process, her first as supervisor. "The entire town board came together and rolled up our sleeves to develop this budget. After much healthy discussion and many compromises, we voted unanimously to approve a preliminary budget that provides essential services to Riga residents in an efficient and cost effective manner."

"Regardless of whether there is a public hearing, the preliminary budget automatically becomes the final," Councilman Bob Ottley said in an e-mail following the meeting. He did say he felt the expenses in the preliminary budget were in line with what they should be and that the council people had plenty of input and discussion on the process. "Barring any major surprises, we basically have a budget."

Ottley said he was "very disappointed" that the budget process this year did not allow council members to see the "bottom line" before it was authorized to go to the public hearing. "It (the budget) may be fine, but with the confusion caused by using a consultant (to help prepare the budget), we won't know the numbers until the day after we voted on the public hearing. I would normally not have supported moving to the public hearing without seeing the final numbers, but this really was the last opportunity to do so. Regardless of any action, or inaction, by the board from this point on would still mean that the amended preliminary budget that we have been working on would automatically become the budget by law," he said.

Town officials are planning a public hearing on the preliminary budget for December 11 at 7 p.m. in the town hall. There is also a meeting planned on December 19 or 26 to approve the budget.

In the preliminary budget, salaries for officials for 2007 are: $20,546, supervisor; $5,985 council members; $33,624 town clerk; and $62,369 highway superintendent. Salaries in 2006 were: $19,948; $5,811; $32,176; and $60,552 respectively.