East Hampton Board of Finance Cuts $250,000 from Budget

By a 4-2 vote, the East Hampton Board of Finance cut $250,000 from the town manager’s proposed budget Wednesday night.

Under the proposed cuts, the board of education was hardest hit. Originally, the school board submitted a 2.8 percent increase, which was reduced by the town manager to 2.24 percent, an increase of $579,295 over Fiscal Year 2010-11 spending. Tuesday night’s vote recommends that the board of ed budget be trimmed by $146,600, which would equal a 1.67 percent increase over Fiscal Year 2010-11. General government spending would be 1.69 percent less than the last fiscal year and capital and debt remains unchanged.

Citing the economy, gas, food, energy, as well as state and federal budgets, board member Timothy Csere began the discussion by saying, “I really feel unable to ask our residents to pay more money this year, especially after the support with last year’s budget. I said this at several meetings and I’ll say it again, I would vote the same total budget that we did last year. I would like to give our new town manager the opportunity to come in, fresh eyes, fresh ideas, to see what he or she can do.

“We have other projects that are coming in down the road that need more support than this [budget] like the high school, and we have to do that, there is no question about that.”

Board member Patience Anderson agreed, but did not think the $250,000 in cuts went far enough.

“I appreciate the willingness to make an adjustment here,” Anderson said. “I still, however, have to say, I don’t think that $250,000 is enough. We must show some measure of concern for those whose taxes are going to be increased. Even in light of this, 40 percent of the town will be seeing an increase in taxes.”

What Anderson was referring to was the October 2010 property revaluation which saw the total grand list decrease about 3.3 percent. Despite the overall decrease, many property owners will see an increase in their taxes.

“With this revaluation, there’s still going to be a lot of people in town paying more in taxes, even with this same budget,” said Csere, who has consistently made this point at previous meetings. “I don’t think a lot of people realize that yet.”

Not surprising considering the low turnouts the board's meetings have generated, which has frustrated members. Fewer still have downloaded the budget documents available on the town's web site.

Csere then made a motion that would trim $250,000 bringing the mill rate to 25.81, a zero mill increase after the restatement, or adjustment, of the mill rate because of the revaluation.

His motion was seconded and discussion began on the amount of the cut and where specific cuts might come from.

Among the cuts: $103,400 from general government, including: $30,000 in police overtime, $10,000 in police uniform allowance, $30,000 from the dog pound/animal control, $3,000 from lake patrol, $3,000 from police property and equipment, another $2,400 from the police department and $25,000 from the EDC.

Though the vote recommends where the $250,000 in cuts will come from, the town manager will make that determination before the budget goes before the town council.

“These aren’t necessarily the cuts that Jeff [Jylkka, director of finance] and I will come up with,” interim town manager Bob Drewry said. “We will proceed with the cuts to the town council. If they choose to not take our recommendations and want to follow your cuts, that’s their right. Jeff and I will take a serious look at this. We obviously will come up with the cuts. We may just disagree where they should come from.”

With six members present, the first vote on the motion ended in a tie, with Anderson and Maria Peplau voting against it because they did not consider the $250,000 cut deep enough. Chairman Matthew Walton also voted nay, but because he thought the cut was too much.

After a brief discussion, the motion was again put to a vote and this time it passed 4-2 with Walton changing his vote.

The budget calls for an overall spending decrease of $64,105 from the last fiscal year or .17 percent less.

The budget will now go before the town council. The referendum is scheduled for Tuesday, May 3.