According to a press release, Town of Riga Supervisor Bob Ottley submitted his tentative 2016 budget to the town clerk at the board meeting on September 29. As presented, the budget shows overall spending increased by 3%. Increases in salaries and benefits, road maintenance and additional highway equipment, and additional assistance to the Riga Cemetery were the main reasons for the budget increase, according to the press release.
The town tax rate will again hold at 0%. The budget uses 80 to 85% of the revenue that the town receives from their Host Community Benefit payments. Ottley stated in the press release, “The Host Community Benefit Reserve Account continues to grow for our future needs. However, with the revenue from the landfill decreasing and spending increasing, the amount of the surplus is decreasing each year. Future boards will need to be careful to keep costs in check or face having to impose taxes on our residents.”
The supervisor provided the following budget details:
•The budget for health care costs is projected to increase by 12%. This reflects a change in the plan for 2016 and an increase for the deductible that the employees pay.
•The contribution for NYS Retirement is projected to increase this year.
•The salary increases for 2016 is proposed as an increase of 3% for all part-time and full-time employees.
•The Newman Riga Library and the Senior Citizens of Riga (SCOR) will receive an increase in funding for 2016, due to the rising costs associated with their independent operation.
•Riga Cemetery will receive additional funding from the town to help with operations.
•The highway budget for capital improvements and road repair was increased by 4%. Highway Superintendent David Smith has provided the Town Board with a ten year plan for all town roads to help with future planning.
•The budget includes funds for replacement of the backhoe, skid steer loader, and for the purchase of a wheeled excavator and a utility vehicle.
•Costs for completing the update of the Comprehensive Plan are included in the tentative budget. Capital projects for 2016 include improving acoustics at the Ray Adams Cobblestone Hall and the William Maher Sanford Road Lodge; improving the floor in the Buffalo Road pavilion, and replacing exterior doors at the William Maher Sanford Road lodge.
•Savings are still being realized from the outsourcing of dog control, use of private contractors for mowing and cleaning services, and overall controlling of operational costs. Additional savings are coming from an extension of the life cycle of some of the 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, according to the press release.
•In 2015 the town used $1,288,513 from the HCA Reserve Account to balance the budget. For 2016 the town expects to use $1,526,331 from that account to balance the budget. At the end of 2015 the anticipated balance in the HCA Reserve Account will be about $6.1 million. At the end of 2016 that balance should grow to $6.4 million.
•For the town outside the village, the 2016 revenues are expected to exceed expenditures. Therefore, no taxes will be placed on either the town-wide budget or the town outside the village budget for 2016.
•Town taxes for 2016 will be zero for all residents.
“Our department heads and Town Board members worked very hard to control costs. We feel that the increase in funding for the additional equipment will make us more efficient. Our board also listened to the groups in our town that provide benefits to our residents, and provided the additional funding where increases were justified,” Ottley stated.
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