Town Board Adopts Its Budget
(11/26/2009) The Southampton Town Board adopted a budget for 2010 on Friday that reflected the priorities of the recently elected town supervisor, Anna Throne-Holst.
Reorganization of departments, restoration of some positions slated for termination, and an agreement to privatize certain animal shelter responsibilities were part of the new spending plan. It totals $79.4 million, with an additional $2.6 million to be raised for reducing deficits in three of the town funds — police, highway, and E-911. Another $1 million will be put in reserve for unbudgeted expenses and contingencies.
On Tuesday, in a follow-up interview, Ms. Throne-Holst endorsed the changes and how the town board arrived at them. “While we didn’t agree on everything, we were courteous and professional during the times we needed to agree to disagree,” she said. She noted that each of the new amendments to the budget had at least three co-sponsors and were passed, as opposed to new proposals made at the meeting by the outgoing supervisor, Linda Kabot, which were not.
“I am greatly encouraged by the way in which we approached the process and hope and trust this will be the new norm,” Ms. Throne-Holst said.
Many of the changes, such as demotions and the elimination of jobs, came at the last minute. Ms. Throne-Holst said this showed “how flawed this process is. We need to revisit in general how people are running ragged to make decisions at the 11th hour.”
Supervisor Kabot, whose staff cuts in her proposed budget were reinstated, was critical of the final cuts and how they were handled. “When I made cuts, even after midnight,” she said, she had called the department heads. Those who were cut had a chance for “lobbyists on their behalf” during the hearing process, which began in September. Those who were cut on Friday “have only until Jan. 1 before their job ends.”
The tax rate, $1.387 per $1,000 of assessed value, remains unchanged. The additional $1.4 million in revenue over Ms. Kabot’s proposed budget will come from an increase in fees from Cablevision, decreases in amounts originally slated for deficit reduction, and a higher estimate of mortgage tax receipts.
The town is expected to sign an agreement by the end of the year with the Southampton Town Animal Shelter Foundation, a nonprofit organization, to take over the shelter. Susan Allen, whose donations built the facility in Red Creek Park in Hampton Bays, and who started the foundation to help run it, had ceased working with the shelter in 2004 after a disagreement with the town over who was making decisions.
Her foundation now will be responsible for the shelter’s operations, and it plans to keep Donald Bambrick on as supervisor.
The town budgeted $200,000 to cover the shelter’s utilities, insurance, repairs, and other animal control expenses, and the foundation will pay for remaining costs. Ten positions in the shelter that were going to be eliminated may be restored through a “preferred rehiring plan” that is part of the agreement with the foundation.
In other town departments, restored positions include the director of transportation and another employee in that department. Youth Bureau and several senior services positions in the Human Services Department were also restored along with six positions in the Waste Management Department.
Walter Bundy, who has been the town’s grants analyst and storm water manager, will be out of a job on Jan. 1. His position was eliminated as part of Highway Department revisions. A separate Public Works Department was established to cover waste and storm water management, the town engineer, and buildings and grounds. The head of the Waste Management Department will become head of public works.
The reorganization leaves the newly elected town Highway Superintendent Alex Gregor with half the responsibilities of previous superintendents. Ms. Kabot said the change left no time for transition. “I think the town may want to keep the current structure of the Department of Public Works. Just because the new highway superintendent has less experience than the previous one doesn’t mean we have to segregate it all.”
Ms. Throne-Holst supported the reorganization, which was proposed by Councilman Chris Nuzzi. “My support is no reflection on the incoming highway superintendent. I have full confidence in him,” she said. “It has to do with a reorganization discussed for a long time.” Mr. Nuzzi agreed. “I’m already working with him to make sure he has the appropriate staffing,” Mr. Nuzzi said.
Mr. Gregor, who is just back from vacation, said he was still unclear about some of the realignment and had thought engineering was still under the Highway Department. “I have some concerns about storm water abatement and engineering being moved out of highway,” he said. “There’s lots of politics in Southampton. I just want to make roads safe and I want to fix them. If others have other agendas, I will comment on them as they appear.” One road project included in the capital budget is realignment of the intersection of Scuttlehole Road and Head of Pond Road in Water Mill to make it safer.
The town board also kept code enforcement under the town attorney’s office after an attempt by Ms. Kabot to move it to the Police Department. On the other hand, Cheryl Kraft, who has been the chief fire marshall and public safety administrator, had emergency management stripped from her role and her salary will be reduced. Emergency management will become a responsibility of the Police Department.
While the final budget appears to fund all the town’s priorities and to comply with the town’s 5 percent cap on tax increases, Tamara Wright, the town comptroller, was still cautious on Friday. “The cash balances are precariously low. There’s not a great deal of room to be off your revenue estimates next year.”