LYSANDER — Micron Technology’s announcement last week that it plans to build a massive semiconductor plant in Clay dovetailed with the tentative budget discussion that took place at the Oct. 6 Lysander Town Board meeting.
Supervisor Bob Wicks weighed in on the news, and Councilor Kevin Rode noted that influx of people, businesses and vehicles will increase demands on area infrastructure.
“The reality of Lysander is we can tout lowest tax rate all we want. We have to provide services and our town is growing … with Micron being 7 miles away in the next 10 years,” Rode said.
Rode said Wicks’ tentative budget is “very conscientious and conservative,” but there are some details to hammer out in budget work sessions. He encouraged residents to attend those workshops (see schedule at the end of this story).
Highway Superintendent Ken Svitak questioned Wicks as to why the tentative budget included a lower portion for the highway department than the number he submitted to the town board.
Wicks said the tentative budget includes $250,000 more for the highway department than the previous budget, but not the $1 million-plus increase Svitak proposed, which Wicks said was a 70% increase in spending.
“Just in your budget alone it would have been a $200 increase for a household of $250,000,” Wicks said. “What you got last year was the highest budget a highway superintendent has ever gotten. You’re proposing a 70% increase during a time when gas has gone up, people are going to a grocery store [for] a family of four and spending almost $500 more … people are getting laid off.”
Wicks said he had heard an economist advise that during times of high inflation, “government has to pull back a little bit and not overtax the citizens.”
Wicks also said he invited Svitak to work on the highway budget together earlier this year, but Svitak instead submitted his own budget draft to the board. Svitak said he wanted to challenge himself to do his budget on his own. According to New York State town law, Wicks said, the tentative budget is drafted by the town supervisor and not the town board.
Rode and Deputy Supervisor Bob Geraci echoed this and explained that the board and department heads will work out the budget in the coming weeks. Geraci encouraged Svitak to “approach the budget process positively” and advised him that it was a matter of protocol.
The budget workshop schedule is as follows. All sessions begin at 5 p.m. and take place at Lysander Town Hall, 8220 Loop Road.
• Wednesday, Oct. 12: Codes/Planning, Town Clerk, Assessor
• Thursday, Oct. 13: Parks and Recreation
• Tuesday, Oct. 18: Highway Department
• Wednesday, Oct. 19: Building