Sloatsburg had a classic Village Board meeting Tuesday night, November 13. After a hard fought local election produced two new trustees, both in attendance, the board held a Public Hearing without any public present.

The board, aligned on the dais in its penultimate meeting under its current configuration, looked out once again over a nearly empty room to discuss fiscal matters related to the village’s tentative 2013 fiscal budget. Total village appropriations for 2013 amount to approximately $2,700,000. Nearly 2/3s of the spending will be paid by property taxes with the remainder covered by sales and utilities taxes, fees, and intergovernmental charges.

Mayor Carl Wright steadily reviewed the tentative budget’s particulars, going over village expenses and revenue nearly item by item, then opened the meeting to public comment. Newly elected Trustee Dan O’Leary jumped right in with some pointed questions related to budget increases, and sparks flew.

The subject matter was sensitive — employee wage increases, which match approximately the overall increase in the General Government Support budget from 2012 to 2013. O’Leary advocated that the board should enact a “hold the line on spending” principle and make the hard decision to not raise salaries at this time. Village employee salaries have been raised 9.5% in total over the last three years.

“I’m not saying you should cut anyone’s pay or lay anyone off,” said O’Leary. “Just don’t add to the burden. Hold the line on spending. I think it’s unfair when every year a large majority are having to toe the line,” he said, referring to village residents in general.

“Here’s what we can do to show our appreciation for their efforts and their contribution,” responded Wright. “They probably should have gotten more. They probably should be at a higher salary than they are. It’d be very easy politically . . . to crack down. But it’s not the right thing. There’s a moral position and it’s to do the right thing,” Wright said.

“I think it’s fair,” said outgoing Trustee Mark Reimer regarding the proposed village employee raises that primarily include support staff in the offices of Village Justice and Clerk/Treasurer. “I’ve come to know them as very hard working, very dedicated and someone I’ve come to rely on,” Reimer said.

Then Trustee John Bonkoski jumped into the discussion. “Did you get a raise from the Town of Ramapo?” he asked, directing his question to newly elected Trustee Thomas Buckley.

“Yes I did,” Buckley answered calmly.

“Did you give it back?” asked Bonkoski, who’s current term of office runs through 2014. Bonkoski appeared to be ridiculing O’Leary’s and Buckley’s campaign promise to return 10% of their trustee salary to the village, which would amount to $460 apiece.

Buckley then responded, “Did I approve my raise? No, but I’m giving a part of mine back here.”

“Obviously what you’re saying is that next year you’ve given notice, you’ve put everyone on warning,” said Wright finally, and after a moment of tense silence the discussion ended.

The public hearing moved on to particulars of the Sloatsburg Volunteer Fire Department budget, which is offset by fire protection services on the revenue side. Buckley briefly probed the board on this topic. But will have the next four years to fully digest all facets of the budget.

After the Public Hearing part of the board meeting, the regular board agenda was discussed and included a vote on installing an additional stop sign in the Academy/Ballard neighborhood, as well as a one-way street sign on Mill Street northbound traffic. Both measures passed.

Trustee Peter Akey, who’s term also runs through 2014, said the village is working with NY State Assemblywoman Annie Rabbitt on the possibility of reducing the speed limit on some local roads to 15mph, under the state’s “Home Rule” provision. The effort is complex and should be undertaken with care, Akey said, asserting that such a move is a nearly permanent solution.

In an odd twist to the evening, the meeting was adjourned, then while trustees filed off the dais and gathered their belongings to leave, Village Attorney Richard Ellsworth, with the law firm Balsamo, Byrne, Cipriani & Ellsworth, located in Suffern, advised Village Clerk Thomas Bollatto that the board had not actually voted on the 2013 budget. Mayor Wright quickly reassembled the members and reconvened the board meeting to put the budget up to an official vote.

The budget passed 3-2, with Trustees Peter Akey and Barbara Berntsen casting “no” votes. Berntsen, the only female trustee, will also be leaving the board.

Following is a brief summary of the 2013 Sloatsburg budget particulars on the expense side:

• The biggest expense by far is the actual cost of running the village, detailed under General Government Support, which includes personnel and most operating expenses, from clerks to lawyers, trustees, deputy and assistant clerks, contracted building expenses, insurance, gas and oil, heating, and building maintenance. Under the GGS, the Clerk/Treasurer takes the biggest bite, but that office has the lion’s share of responsibility in terms of day-to-day village operations.
• The second largest village expense falls under Employee Benefits and includes the various state retirement plans, medical coverage, social security, and other insurance benefits the village pays for all employees. Medical coverage is expensive and most anyone needs it, and wants it. Healthy workers are happier more productive workers.
• Transportation is the third largest village expense. The Department of Public Works crews driving around the village, cleaning and clearing roads, planting flower beds, acting in tandem as a yellow-vested unit, cost money. They work hard every day for the village. But not for free.
• Public Safety is the fourth largest village expense and includes the Sloatsburg Volunteer Fire Department. Contrary to what some residents may believe, the SFD is not a big ticket item or the bogeyman that ate Sloatsburg. Aside from the contractual expense involved in actually running the SFD as a first emergency responder, the big Public Safety ticket comes from fire hydrant rental, an on-going issue within the SFD. United Water charges Sloatsburg nearly $150,000 a year to rent hydrants, some of which are inoperative or underperforming. A longstanding budgetary sore spot, this issue is something new Trustee Thomas Buckley will certainly investigate further. Additionally, the SFD budget is nearly fully covered through village fire services revenue, which means that the SFD essentially funds itself.