Brockport officials present budget, hear village residents' comments

Brockport officials present budget,
hear village residents' comments

Prior to the start of the April 3 public hearing on the Village of Brockport's budget, Mayor Mort Wexler stressed to taxpayers in attendance that the figures were tentative. "This is not the final budget, there is work to be done and it has to be done by the five board members you see before you," he said.

Later in the meeting Wexler said the budget presented is not one he is happy with. "We are the second highest taxed village in Monroe County, I'm not happy with a nine percent increase."

Many scenarios led to the village being in the position of a nine percent increase in the proposed tax rate, Village Manager Ian Coyle said during his presentation. Revenues not keeping pace with ever-increasing expenses, the loss of $50,000 in property tax revenue from the closing of the former Kleen Brite facility, increases in health insurance benefits, police department overtime, street maintenance expenses and legal fees are all contributing factors to the proposed increase. "We are searching for ways to offer tax relief," Coyle said. "We've switched carriers for workers' compensation insurance and have realized a $73,000 savings, are talking medical insurance buy outs for employees who can obtain health insurance from other sources and are looking to New York state for aid increases."

It was noted that the village budgeted $60,000 for legal fees in 2005-06 and are estimating they will spend $105,000; police overtime was budgeted at $140,000 and they are on track to spend $145,000; and the street maintenance expenses were budgeted at $91,000 but will likely come in at $154,000. Coyle said the DPW has budgeted $140,000 for 2006-07 and that is a "more realistic figure."

Figures were presented to approximately two dozen taxpayers in attendance with rates ranging from the 11.38 percent increase and a $9.98 tax rate as first proposed in the March 15 proposed budget; a 7.38 percent increase with a $9.62 per $1,000 tax rate with the village's sewer fund still in place; and a revised rate of $9.80, or a 9.38 percent increase, if the sewer rent was removed. The average user pays $73 a year for sewer rent and figuring the tax increase into the figure a taxpayer could realize a savings of $13 per year.

Trustee David Wagenhauser, at a prior meeting, urged board members to look at removing the sewer tax. It was brought forth as a resolution at the April 3 board meeting and was passed unanimously. The date and procedure for making the change will be discussed at the April 10 board workshop.

Following Coyle's presentation, taxpayers took to the podium to voice their displeasure at the tentative budget.

"The way this village spends money it's driving retired people out," John Lessord said. "I live on a fixed income and I don't have anyone I can go to when I need money to pay for more things. You can't continue to spend taxpayer money like this."

Angela Markham said taxpayers are being squeezed out of the village. "The costs keep going up for all of us, not just in taxes, but everywhere." She also pointed out that since the budget figures were first mentioned, five people in her neighborhood have listed their homes for sale. "It could be just a coincidence but I don't know."

"Close the police station," was Donovan Dunn's answer to closing the budget gap. "Sell the building and the equipment. We couldn't afford them when they first opened their doors and we can't afford them now." The village also has to end its litigation in order to save money, he said. "Sell the welcome center, resist special interest groups and work for the common good. I know this budget's a challenge but we voted for you and we're depending on you."

Fixing the budget problem is simple, John Bush said, "the benefit packages are enormous." He said there isn't a single employee who couldn't afford to pay at least 50 percent of their benefit package. "There's nothing wrong with laying people off to meet the budget," he said. "It's a tough position but a one nickel tax increase shouldn't be passed along to the taxpayers. Close one shift of the police department, get seasonal help, there are ways to deal with this."

College professor and resident Sandeep Sing said instead of suggesting deep cuts, a panel should be appointed to negotiate ways to balance the budget. "If health care goes up, have the employees help pay the increase," he said. "Brockport is becoming less and less attractive to new professors and young families."

Mary Ann Rogers said, "I beg you, don't eliminate the police department; we need them."

Following the end of the public hearing, Wexler told audience members he had sat down with union representatives of the DPW and the police department in order to find ways to save taxpayer dollars. "There is a clause in the police contract that is excessive to the village - it kills us," he said. "We asked for concessions and were rejected."

Bush said it was "sickening" to see the unions running the village.

Markham said she was tired of seeing the police department being the scapegoat every year when it comes to budget time.

Police Chief Dan Varrenti addressed Wexler's concerns with the police contract, saying there are clauses in it that tie his hands as a manager. "The contract takes away many of my management rights," he said, adding that, "of the $1.2 million police budget, 89.9 percent is controlled by the village; of the portion I have control over, I have reduced it over the past four years. I know that you can't cut a budget with a chainsaw."

Varrenti pointed out there are 16,000 people in the village and only 8,000 of them are taxpayers (the other are college students). "Every year, the police department comes up as the whipping boy," he said.

Trustee Maria Castaneda said she can't in good conscience accept the budget as presented. "We need to sit down and look at ways to further reduce costs," she said. She wants the village to look into resource sharing with the town. "We need to do better with resource management and have to decide what are necessities and what are simply niceties."

Trustee Carrie Maziarz said she, personally, has gone in and worked very hard to get the numbers down to an appropriate level. "David (Trustee Wagenhauser) and I have been going in on a regular basis and looking at line items to see where we could make reductions," she said. "People have to realize though that we have lost tax revenues from various industries within the village and we haven't had those made back up yet. We now have 50 percent of the population carrying 100 percent of the burden."

The village is going through trying times, Maziarz said. "I do support the proposal that rescinds the sewer tax," she said. "I am hoping that at the meeting on the 10th and the 17th that some other board members come to the table with ideas, and figures to help us balance the budget."

Village officials, after much discussion, voted to host a workshop on the budget on April 10. A prior workshop was cancelled because notification wasn't published with enough notice to residents. The workshop is at 7 p.m. in the upstairs conference room of the Fire Hall, 38 Market Street, Brockport.

The next village board meeting is April 17 at which time a budget may be accepted. It must be put in place by May 1.