The Van Buren town board approved the town’s 2015 budget at its Nov. 5 meeting.
The total expenditures for next year’s budget are $4,728,133, which is a $25,814 decrease from the 2014 adopted budget’s $4,753,947.
The tax levy for 2015 has increased slightly to $3,164,750, up 0.18 percent from the 2014 levy of $3,158,916.
Inside the village of Baldwinsville, the tax rate will increase by 1.9 percent to $1.65 per thousand. Next year, that homeowner’s tax bill for Van Buren would be $165.31. A homeowner inside the village with a house assessed at $100,000 currently pays $162.36.
Outside the village, the tax rate is dipping 0.3 percent to $4.37 per thousand. A resident with a $100,000 house outside the village currently pays $438.68; in 2015, that homeowner would owe the town $437.28.
Sykes credited the town department heads with keeping the budget on an even keel.
“They didn’t ask for unreasonable things,” Sykes said. He said the board approved increases that they felt were necessary but “deferred” on department heads’ “wishlist” items.
“I think it’s a good budget,” he added. “It basically stayed stable, and that’s what we like to see, while maintaining the services.”
Stay safe this winter
The Nov. 18 town board meeting featured suggestions on how to enjoy winter safely.
Six seasonal, part-time operators have been hired to ride wing for snow plow operators this winter. One of them, Dave Dreher, has been authorized to drive the snow plows as well. Dreher retired from the town last year.
Highway Superintendent Doug Foster said wing operators help drivers handle the controls and watch out for things drivers might miss.
“It’s very critical to have an extra set of eyes,” Foster said.
Foster said residents who see an area that has not been marked with a reflective delineator stake may call the highway department at 635-5124 and employees will mark the area. This includes the ends of driveways.
Foster cautioned residents that plows may damage lawns while turning corners.
“There are some corners … that just by the nature of the beast will get hit every single year,” he said. “We try to make those the first ones that get repaired come springtime, but it’s either hit the lawn a tiny, tiny bit or leave a dangerous amount of snow in the path.”
Councilor Ron Dudzinski shared some tips for snowmobile enthusiasts. Sykes thanked Dudzinski for coordinating insurance and contracts with local snowmobile clubs.
Dudzinski said snowmobilers and pedestrians who use the Erie Canalway Trail should be cautious of each other.
Snowmobilers can safely park, unload and begin their ride at Reed Webster Park in Camillus, where there is a plowed parking lot.
In other business:
Town Engineer Jason Hoy sought and received board approval to engage Kenny Geotechnical Engineering Services for a geotechnical study at the Connors Road culvert, the cone supports of which have deteriorated from exposure to road salt. A drill rig will take soil samples to determine what sort of replacement cones the soil can support.
Traffic on Connors Road has been reduced to one lane until the state Department of Transportation can replace the culvert. Hoy said this is pending Department of Environmental Conservation approval.
The highway garage no longer will accept electronic waste. “All recyclers that were taking that waste are out of business,” Foster said. He encouraged residents to take advantage of certain electronics retailers’ policies, which allow people to recycle old electronics upon buying a new television, for example.
Councilor Howard Tupper announced that the next land use committee meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2, at the Van Buren Town Hall.
The next regular board meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 2.
