Piermont's Tentative Budget or the Trend Continues

Unify Piermont (unifypiermont@live.com)

Piermont’s Tentative Budget or the Trend Continues

The Village Board held their first Public Hearing on the tentative budget for 2010-2011 on April 6, 2010. The Mayor announced a proposed increase in the tax rate of over 12.8% and of over 6.5% in the amount to be raised by taxes. While Unify Piermont is not convinced either of these numbers is 100% accurate, they are directionally correct.

And they are clearly unacceptable. Recent newspaper stories concerning school budgets have all emphasized two things. The first is the extreme cutback in state aid due to the continuing economic crisis and the second is that all of the school boards are holding tax increases to less than 2%. They are finding ways to cut costs.

A recent article in The Journal News was headlined Spring Valley mayor’s proposed budget holds line on taxes by across-the-board government cuts, some job eliminations and the use of surplus revenues. There are no across-the-board government cuts, no job eliminations and very little use of surplus in the Piermont proposed budget.

The Village Board continues its pleas of we can do nothing as everything is out of our control and the problem lies in Albany. Well, one might ask, if you can do nothing, why do we need a Village Board?

It is worth noting that at the turn of the century Village taxes were under $2 million. The tentative budget proposes taxes of over $4 million just as Unify Piermont projected in a previous blog. It has been suggested that the potential of a reelection challenge for the first time in many years lead to the temporary hiatus we experienced last year. True or not, the steep upward trend continues once again in this year’s proposed budget.

It should also be noted that the proposed budget makes no explicit allowance for the on-going PBA negotiations which have now gone to binding arbitration. No governmental entity has ever been remotely successful in binding arbitration. So, eventually these “chickens will come home to roost” and two more years of catch-up salary awards will have to be covered.

If you are still employed in this economy, we would not suggesting telling your boss you “can do nothing” to reduce costs or your company will soon be reducing costs by eliminating at least one position.

The Village Board seems to have forgotten that they are serving at the pleasure of the taxpayer’s of Piermont. They are, in essence, our employees and we need to tell them to reduce costs, not give excuses.

It is worth noting that the Village underwent a reassessment last year. Many homes remained flat and with the proposed tax rate of $5.76/thousand their Village taxes will increase almost 13%. The average assessed value reduction, Village wide, was 4.7%. At the proposed tax rate this results in a 7.5% increase in your Village taxes. Does 7.5% seem reasonable in today’s economy?

The next budget hearing and the date for adopting the final budget is April 20 at 7 PM in Village Hall. If you are as concerned as we are, please attend and make your views known. A copy of the tentative budget can be obtained from the Village Clerk during normal business hours.

This message was prepared by Unify Piermont which is dedicated to returning responsible, representative government to Piermont.

Unify Piermont is a group made up of village residents from all areas of the village, and from all political parties. We need to create a local village government that will address the problems created by the current and previous administrations.