Huntington – Supervisor Chad A.
Lupinacci has released the Supervisor’s
Tentative Budget for 2019, presented to the Huntington Town Board by Town Clerk
Jo-Ann Raia at the September 20, 2018 Town Board Meeting, also adding a new
step to the budget process in the spirit of transparency, including public
presentations relating to budget estimates.
In a letter addressed to his fellow
Town Board members, Supervisor Lupinacci outlined his approach to the tentative
budget:
“As Supervisor and Chief Financial
Officer of the Town of Huntington, I am pleased to present my first Tentative
Operating and Capital Budget for the Town of Huntington for 2019. I wish to
thank the Town Comptroller’s Office, members of my staff, and all Town
Department Directors and their Deputies for their input and guidance throughout
this preliminary step in the budget process.
“Pursuant to General Municipal Law,
Town Law Section 106, I present this Tentative Budget for your consideration. I
have taken a conservative approach to expenditure allocations, using previous
actuals as a baseline for these costs. Particular focus was given to employee
salaries, overtime and benefits. In addition, fuel, energy, and other utility
costs, contractual expenses and debt service payments were analyzed.
Additionally, I have incorporated realistic revenue budgeting, and have not
relied upon one shot revenues as a means of balancing the 2019 Tentative
Budget. We continue to provide current levels of service, despite a contractual
collective bargaining increase for all union employees, and a 9% increase in
employee medical costs.
“As in prior years, the Town must
comply with the New York State Tax Cap Act. This act limits a local
government’s overall growth in the property tax levy to 2 percent over the
prior year’s levy, or to the rate of inflation, whichever is less. The
Tentative Budget falls within the State mandated tax cap for 2019. The proposed
2019 tax levy is $122.8 million, a 2.53% increase over the 2018 levy. While the
calculated Tax Cap for 2019 is 2%, the Town benefits from a carryover savings
from 2018 of $371,000 and a tax base growth factor of $407,000. The carryover
savings and growth factor combined represent the additional 0.543% in
permissible levy growth over 2%. We have appropriated $750,000 in fund balance
from various component units of the Town, and fall $80,000 overall below the
allowable change in tax levy to meet Tax Cap requirements.
“I have asked my staff to make
themselves available at your convenience to review various expenditures and
revenue figures contained herein, and associated programming and projected
implementation schedules. Further, I am available to meet with you to discuss
any inquiries and comments you may have. I look forward to working with you
toward the successful adoption of the annual Operating and Capital Budgets for
the Town of Huntington for 2019.”
A public hearing on the Preliminary
Budget for 2019 will be scheduled on or before November 8, as required by New
York State Town Law, during when the public can weigh in on the merits of the
budget.
In the spirit of transparency,
Supervisor Lupinacci has added a new step to the budget process, including
presentations to the Town Board and the public on budget estimates. The
presentations will be live-streamed on the Town’s website and government access
TV channels, Optimum 18 and FIOS 38.
The Preliminary Budget for 2019 must
be adopted by November 20.
The Supervisor’s
Tentative Operating and Capital Budget for the Town of Huntington for 2019 can be found on
the Town website on the page for the Department of Audit and Control: http://www.huntingtonny.gov/audit-control/
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