2003 Operating Budget

Published: 10/3/2002

One of the most important responsibilities that the Town Board and I have is adoption of the annual operating budget. This is the vehicle by which we can look at the whole array of programs and services that we offer. This is also the time that we are always mindful that tax dollars are your dollars and that we need to always be conservative in our use of your money.

The preliminary budget that has been accepted by the Town Board and it calls for a 1.7% increase in the tax rate. This means that the average taxpayer will realize an increase of only $10.98 in their Town taxes. This preliminary budget is still subject to a public hearing, which will be held on October 15, at 7:00 P.M. in the lower level of Town Hall.

The basis for the increase really falls into three categories, which are salaries, benefits and capital expenditures. We have actually decreased our budget in two areas, including general expenses and debt.

One of the biggest areas of increase is related to benefits. This year our cost of benefits is raising at a faster rate than our overall salaries. For the third straight year we have been told to look at increase in medical insurance in the range of 10 to 15%. These are astronomical increases that are affecting every government, business and family throughout our County. This year we have projected an increase of $151,136 for the cost of benefits.

Capital expense is the second largest increase in this year's budget, rising by a total of $126,099. Part of this expense will cover some drainage projects we need to complete and technology purchases that will help us improve our overall technology system. The technology costs are particularly related to the purchase of software packages in the area of the Town Clerks office, Code Enforcement and vehicle maintenance. These are tools that are intended to help manage the overall delivery of those service areas.

Another reason for the increase in capital expense relates to our Capital budget for our fleet of vehicles and large equipment. This capital budget forecasts the capital replacement of our entire fleet. The goal of this capital budget is to assure that we have the necessary funds available each and every year to replace our vehicles and equipment.

Over the last few years we have seen a steady increase in the cost of purchasing our large trucks. What we were purchasing for $98,000 just a few years ago is now costing around $115,000. As we forecast these purchases out, we are projecting that these same trucks could cost as much as $130,000. As such, we have adjusted our annual flat line budget figure to take into account the increased cost of this equipment as well as the potential future costs we will face.

The other area of increase cost relates to salaries increasing by a total of $121,604. This increase includes a 3% increase to our staff, which is consistent with what is being given to employees in communities of consistent size and makeup of Pittsford.

I am most proud of the men and women who make up the Town of Pittsford staff. There is a dedication on the delivery of quality services and a focus on the needs of our residents that I believe is unparalleled in government work. We ask a lot of our employees and they deliver. They have continually taken on additional workload even though our staff has not grown much. Even more important, they understand that improvement is an on-going responsibility and are continually striving to be better at what they do and how they do it.

I must say that the Town staff is an important part of this budget process. They understand the Town Board's and my desire to minimize increase in taxes. They understand that there are always competing influences in each budget and can understand and support the priorities that best achieve our strategic priorities.

The budget is still a work in progress. The Town Board and I will continue to meet with staff to discuss their budgets. We will have the public hearing on October 15. It is traditional that the Town Board adopts the final budget at the first meeting in November, which will be held on November 7th. We will take into account any feedback that we receive from our residents between now and the final adoption of the budget.

If you have any comments relative to this year's budget, please feel free to call me at 248-6220 or send me an email.

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