Brockport village residents
continue to question budget figures

Following a board meeting that lasted close to three hours, residents of the village of Brockport still had many concerns regarding the village's proposed budget which carries with it a 9.98 percent tax rate increase.

According to state mandates, whether the board approves its tentative budget by May 1 or not, those figures will be the ones that the village will operate under for the following fiscal year. Resident Linda Borrayo pointed out that the board's "inaction effectively sets the budget in stone."

Area resident Tony Perry said, "This budget is a complete manipulation of figures in an attempt to keep the increase below 10 percent. There is an obvious public outcry against this budget and I think the people deserve a more accurate accounting." (Perry owns property in the village).

Mayor Josephine Matela said she would love to have people come to her with solutions to the budget woes facing the village. "I keep hearing people complain and talk about it but no one is offering any solutions," she said during the April 19 board meeting.

In addition to the proposed tax rate increase, the village will be imposing a new sewer usage fee. It would be the first time the village has imposed such a sewage management fee. Many residents protested this as a hidden fee which would essentially raise the amount they pay for village taxes to 22 percent.

The village's preliminary budget has a sewage management, or sewage rental fee, of 80 cents per 1,000 gallons of water used. It is estimated that a single family home would use 75,000 gallons of water a year and their annual fee would be $60. Village officials say the sewer fee is necessary because the village's 100-year-old system needs updating and repair, according to village officials.

Village officials planned to host a public hearing on the sewer rent during its regular board meeting on May 3. "The budget will play on May 1 whether the board approves it or not," resident Bill Webber said. "And to have a public hearing on the sewer rent after the budget is passed is a slap in the face to the residents."

While the board was discussing proposed tax increases and sewer management fees, homeowner Frank Burgos addressed the board with sewage problems he encountered on February 1 when his basement filled with sewage. "When I spoke to you, you said these problems have been going on for 20 years but yet the village won't take responsibility for the sewage in my basement," he said. "My home may be private property but it was the village's sewage that backed up into my basement."

Burgos said he had met with plumbers who indicated the problem stemmed from problems in the village's system but Burgos said the village's insurance refused to reimburse him for the more than $12,000 in damages he incurred.

"We are doing the best we can to monitor the situation but we certainly can't be in everyone's kitchen to see what they are throwing down their kitchen sinks that might ultimately cause the sewers to back up," Matela said. "We are doing the best we can to take care of the village. I'm sorry your claim was denied but we don't make the rules for the insurance companies."

Department of Public Works Superintendent Brad Upson said if any village resident has a "clean-out" in their basement they need to have a solid cap on it as a way to prevent sewage backup.

As part of the budget process, Police Chief Daniel Varrenti urged the board to allow him to keep one of his officers who was resigning from Brockport to accept a full time officer position in Fairport. "I don't have $100,000 in savings to offer the village but if I can save $3,000 to $5,000 then I'd feel like I was making a contribution," he said.

Varrenti's position is if he had one or two more full time officers he could cut down on his overtime budget. "We've averaged $159,106 in overtime over the last three years," he said "With having a full time officer I could cut $70,000 out of the overtime budget. It would keep a good officer on our force and would save money in the long run."

With the resignation of Officer Joe Morabito, the department is down to two part time officers, Varrenti said. "I don't have the people available to work the shifts that are called for in the contract," he explained. "I've even been on the road riding patrol in an effort to cut down on overtime. Trustee (Mort) Wexler said maybe I wasn't contributing enough to the department so I am now out on patrol."

Matela said that now was the time for the village to hire a full time officer. "We have an opportunity to cut down on overtime by keeping a fully trained officer. I think we need to consider it."

Trustee James Whipple said the police department was never going to do away with overtime. "The reason overtime is so exorbitant is that we have two full time officers out on sick leave and that you can't budget for," he said. "If we stick to the two officers per shift that is in the contract, we won't have any problem. They might have to work swing shifts and it might be a bit of an inconvenience but it's a fallacy when you talk of hiring officers to reduce overtime."

Varrenti reiterated that the village would save $20,000 per year if they approved the hiring of a full time officer. "We need to put the department in a position to succeed, not to fail."