Addition of $192,000 for capital projects will mean a projected increase in spending in the 2013 tentative Town of Riga budget of 7.3 percent, Supervisor Bob Ottley says.
Two capital projects include drainage work along Buffalo Road west from the village to the Dollar General store in conjunction with plans for a sidewalk to be installed in 2014. Renovations will also be made at the Raymond C. Adams Cobblestone Hall to make the kitchen area more accessible. A sidewalk at the Hall is also slated for replacement.
The budget includes funding for installation of dugouts for the new baseball field at Sanford Road Park and the highway budget for capital improvements and road repair was increased by nearly nine percent, officials say.
The highway superintendent will provide a specific list of road work for 2013 in February of next year.
Funds for replacement of a front end loader, backhoe, and skid steer loader as well as the purchase of a new brush chipper, which will be purchased and shared with the Village of Churchville are also included in the tentative spending plan.
The town will continue with a zero percent tax rate. Ottley says the budget uses only about 60 percent of the revenue the town receives from their Host Community Benefit payments for the Mill Seat Landfill. “The Host Community Benefit Reserve Account continues to grow for our future needs,” he says.
According to Ottley, spending overall in the budget – not including the capital projects – decreased by 1.7 percent.
Savings in the budget are the result of outsourcing dog control and kennel services, using private contractors for mowing and cleaning services and controlling operational costs, according to a town press release.
“Additional savings are coming from an extension of the life cycle of some of our bigger trucks in the highway department, as well as an aggressive replacement policy on some of the heavy pieces of equipment used in highway maintenance,” Ottley says.
Councilman David Smith reported the budget was completed effectively and that the entire board has an understanding of where monies are being spent. “The department heads and their staff worked hard at controlling costs and presenting well-thought-out plans on how to efficiently continue to provide and improve the services that we offer,” he said.
Other 2013 budget details include a projected increase in cost for health care insurance premiums of 16.5 percent; a projected increase in the contribution for NYS Retirement; a two percent wage increase for all town employees and elected officials; a small increase in funding for the Newman Riga Library and first-time funding for the Riga Cemetery to help with operations.
