Manlius Town Supervisor Ed Theobald submitted the town’s 2014-15 tentative budget to the town clerk last week, offering his thanks to all department heads and to the town manager for their hard work during two months of budget meetings.
“It’s still a work in progress,” he said during the board’s Sept. 24 regular meeting. “I’ll hand this to the town clerk, we’ll tweak it, fix and that’s what we do.”
Theobald, who also acts as the town chief financial officer, did not state any specifics about what is contained in the budget, since it is only in its tentative form.
During the board’s Aug. 27 meeting however, Councilor Nicholas Marzola gave a brief budget presentation, during which he said the state tax levy cap for 2015 will be 1.56 percent, versus the 1.66 percent in 2014. He said that even though the town kept its budget under the tax levy cap for the past two years, this year will be “much more difficult to attain” because of all the state mandates on the town such as retirement, health care and personnel costs.
The town board already has approved a local law to override the state property tax cap, which is an action the board takes every year.
Town Clerk Allison Edsall now will submit the supervisor’s budget to the town board, which will then create a preliminary budget and set a public hearing to be no later than the Thursday following Election Day. A final budget must be adopted by Nov. 20.
The board’s Sept. 24 meeting was a quick affair otherwise, since the absence of Town Attorney Steve Primo due to illness necessitated a need to table pending issues until Primo returns. The tabled issues included setting professional fees and fees schedules for the town and discussing the bidding process for the town’s trash and brush removal service.
The board in August voted to eliminate the opportunity for residents to opt out of trash and brush pickup in the two town trash and brush districts, citing reduction of overall costs and a greater fairness to the process as reasons. The new policy will take effect Jan. 1, 2015.
Also at the meeting:
—Theobald did not make any public announcements concerning the progress of the town and village discussions relating to the proposed creation of a new fire station and the disagreement between the two municipalities over which should act as lead agency. Theobald said he planned to set up a meeting with Manlius Mayor Paul Whorrall.
—Police Chief Francis Marlowe informed the board that the town had received more than $17,000 in state grant funding from Assemblyman Al Stirpe. Marlowe asked the board to approve the addition of those funds, which will be used to purchase new equipment and radar guns, into the police budget. The board unanimously approved the budget addition.
—Theobald announced the resignations of Beth Powell and Grace Napolitano from the Manlius Tree Commission, and the recommendation by commission Chair Nancy Needham of appointing Joan Hagenzieker to one of the vacancies. The board unanimously approved Hagenzieker’s appointment. Theobald said the town is actively seeking interested candidates to fill the remaining tree commission vacancy. Anyone interested can contact Needham through the town office.
—Theobald announced that he has been reappointed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to a second two-year term on the New York State Law Enforcement Accreditation Council, which meets quarterly and issues standards, sets policy and has exclusive authority to grant accreditation status.
Jason Emerson is editor of the Eagle Bulletin. He can be reached at [email protected] or 434-8889 ext. 335.
