HomeMy WebLinkAboutSupervisors Message pF SO!/r�ol
SCOTT A.RUSSELL O Town Hall, 53095 Route 25
SUPERVISOR l l P.O. Box 1179
RECEIVED N Southold,New York 11971-0959
ip Fax(631) 765-1823
SEP 3 0 214
COU Telephone (631) 765-1889
Southold Town Clerk OFFICE OF THE SUPERVISOR
TOWN OF SOUTHOLD
The budget I am proposing will present challenges to the Southold Town Board. No
doubt, hard choices will need to be made. No budget is an isolated document and the decisions
we need to make over the next few weeks will not just impact the budget for 2015 but will also
impact budgets for subsequent years. The budget I am submitting addresses the town's general
needs for next year while adhering to the adopted policies of the past that have served this town
well.
The financial outlook for Southold Town in 2015 is good. Southold's fund balance is
healthy. Revenue from all sources has not increased and this budget does not contain
unrealistic projections. The allocations I propose are reasonable and provide adequate
resources for maintaining services. This budget also provides funds to ensure that the staffing
needs of each department are met. The town's current debt service is manageable but I caution
the board that all future capital projects and capital purchases should be made only after
thorough vetting. Fixed costs of debt service can substantially limit the discretionary spending
of future boards and could make it very difficult to comply with New York State's 2%tax cap
legislation. No future bonding should be executed until capital plans for infrastructure, building
assets and equipment are completed. Further, we should continue to pursue revenue
opportunities for the town's underused or unused assets. A proposed photovoltaic solar array
for a portion of the capped landfill is a good start, however, we need to identify far more
revenue opportunities that can provide income streams that reduce the future need for taxes.
The budget I propose addresses Southold town's current needs and I look forward to working
with the town board to address Southold's future needs as well.
Some key features of this budget are:
1. Total appropriation of$42,859,313 which is an increase of 1.37% increase from
fiscal 2014. This will result in a tax increase of 1.45%.
2. Exceeds the Town board adopted policy of maintaining a fund balance equal to or
greater than 10%.
3. Includes all mandated expenditures such as obligations to the New York State
Pension Systems and the New York State payroll tax.
4. Provides for the hiring of 8 new police officers, 6 for immediate hire and 2 after the
anticipated retirement of 2.
5. Does not rely on any one shot revenue sources, estimates all revenue on historical
analysis and performance, and assumes there will be no appreciable increases.
I would like to thank all department heads for their help in creating this budget and
would especially like to thank Town Comptroller John Cushman and Assistant Town
Comptroller Connie Solomon for their tireless efforts and commitment to excellence.