Riga’s tentative 2014 budget includes a decrease in spending of 8.5 percent and a town tax rate of zero percent.
Supervisor Bob Ottley says no new capital projects are planned for 2014. He adds that the town continues to see savings from the outsourcing of dog control and kennel services, using private contractors for mowing and cleaning services, and controlling operational costs.
“Additional savings are coming from the extension of the life cycle of some of our bigger trucks in the highway department,” Ottley says, “as well as an aggressive replacement policy on some of the heavy pieces of equipment used in highway maintenance.”
Ottley says the tentative budget shows using about 52 percent of the revenue the town receives from Host Community Benefit payments for the Mill Seat Landfill. “The Host Community Benefit Reserve Account continues to grow for our future needs,” he says.
Budget highlights include:
A projected increase in health care costs of 15 percent; a projected decrease in the contribution for NY State Retirement – reversing a trend of double-digit increases; a two percent wage increase for town employees; no increase for elected officials; a small increase in funding for the Newman Riga Library; funding for the Riga Cemetery; and an increase of eight percent in the highway budget for capital improvements and road repairs and for replacing a front end loader, backhoe and skid steer loader.
Ottley says for the current 2013 year, the A Fund (town wide budget) has not spent as much as was budgeted, meaning the amount allocated from the Host Community Reserve Account will be less than anticipated.
The town expects to end the year by using $332,000 less than budgeted. The 2014 tentative budget includes $1,119,030 from the HCA (Host Community Agreement) Reserve Account to balance the budget. The town expects that the HCA Reserve Account balance will be about $4.7 million at the end of 2013.
Finally, town outside the village 2014 revenues exceed expenditures meaning no fund balances will be used for the 2014 budget process.
Includes press release information
9/29/13
