Supervisor Koetzle Files 2022 Proposed Budget
Pursuant to state law, I filed my budget with the town clerk today. This budget achieves many long-time goals, not least of which is a tax cut to our residents. I am proposing that we cut taxes by 3%, add two new officers, add new parks employees, and continued increased investments in the enhanced paving program. This budget also continues to reduce the fund balance allocation and cut debt further. Please read my budget memo...long, but worthwhile.
Supervisor Koetzle’s 2022 Budget Message
My 2022 budget submitted to the Town Clerk on September 30, 2021 is a conservative spending plan which once again stays within the state imposed real property tax cap limit. The Town of Glenville has stayed under the tax cap every year since it was implemented, and we have done so without relying on gimmicks such as new fees or the deferral of required payments to the state retirement system.
The Covid-19 pandemic has made the past 18 months a time of stress and worry for us all. At a Town government level, we have been able to largely mitigate the negative economic impacts of Covid thanks to our years of sensible financial planning and decision-making. But many of our residents have suffered job loss, loss of child care, medical issues, or similar unexpected emergencies through no fault of their own. This has weighed heavily on me while preparing the 2022 budget. The needs of Glenville and Scotia residents are Town government needs; the concerns of Glenville and Scotia residents are Town government concerns. I have long vowed that the Town would always stay below the tax cap under my administration but this year it is time we do more. The residents of Glenville and Scotia deserve a break after 18 months of tension and uncertainty, and I am very happy to deliver one in the form of a tax cut.
My 2022 budget provides a 3% tax cut to all residents, both village and outside the village. Based on the median full market home value of $205,000 and inclusive of all town items on the January tax bill, the typical Glenville home outside the village will receive a tax cut of $27. In my 2022 budget the typical village home will receive a tax cut of $4, the second consecutive tax cut for village residents. In total, the proposed 2022 tax levy is cut $227,222 from 2021, or 2.43%. Overall Town spending is also reduced for the second consecutive year.
We were able to provide these tax cuts and spending cuts while still adhering to the same foundational tenets we’ve used for the past 12 years: paying down debt and protecting our fund balance. Our philosophy on avoiding unnecessary borrowing has resulted in a reduction of the Town debt load from $23.1 million in 2010 down to $10.1 million by the end of 2022 – a cut of 56%. Reducing our debt burden means lower interest payments, which results in more funds available for Town services.
The other key financial tenet we’ve followed since 2010 has been reducing the use of the Town’s fund balance (our savings accounts) in our three main funds of Town General, Town Outside the Village, and Highway. From 2010 through 2020, we reduced our use of fund balance from about $1.4 million down to $300,000 – a reduction of nearly 80%. Due to the uncertainties concerning Covid-19 we had to reverse course in the 2021 budget. But in the 2022 budget we will reduce our use of fund balance to $395,000 for our three main funds, down from $465,000 in last year’s Covid affected budget.
Our hard work over the past 12 years to create a sound financial foundation for Glenville continues to pay off. Our conservative financial approach has allowed us to create capital reserve and debt reserve accounts to fund large projects and absorb new debt issuances. Our dedication to making prudent financial decisions has enabled us to fund important community projects, such as expansion of the Senior Center, major improvements to Maalwyck Park and Indian Meadows Park, the beautification of Town Center, and the installation of sidewalks for children in the Scotia-Glenville, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, and Niskayuna school districts, while safeguarding taxpayer funds and adding to our community’s quality-of-life. We will continue to adhere to this conservative financial philosophy regarding Town of Glenville finances throughout my tenure as Town Supervisor.
My 2022 budget cuts taxes, cuts spending, pays down debt, and protects our savings – but that’s not all. Our hard work puts us in a position to again improve services for our residents. The 2022 budget provides funding for the following investments in our community:
• Partnering with our school districts to meet their needs. Working with the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Central School District and the Scotia-Glenville Central School District, in 2022 the Town will be able to assign a police officer to each district as a School Resource Officer (SRO) during the school year. This initiative has been discussed for several years and the hard work of all parties has finally paid off. I would like to thank Superintendents Patrick McGrath and Susan Swartz, the two school boards, and Police Chief Steve Janik for their perseverance in turning this idea into a reality.
• Adding to our police force (again!). In 2022, the Town will hire two new police officers to backfill the new SRO positions. These hires will augment the new police officers added in both 2018 and 2019. In 2017 we employed 22 police officers; in 2022, that number will rise to 26 police officers.
• Adding staff for our growing Parks system. The 2022 budget funds a new full-time Parks laborer position, the second straight year we’ve added a full-time Parks employee. As recently as 2019, our Parks department had only 2 employees. In 2022, that number will increase to 4.5 FTE employees.
• Adding staff for our Senior Center. For years we’ve relied on volunteers to staff the Senior Center front desk in the afternoons. While the volunteers have done a phenomenal job it is a lot to ask of them. So in 2022 we will add a year-round, part-time Senior Center employee for the afternoons.
• Increasing staffing at Town Hall. The 2022 budget also increases the Deputy Town Clerk position from part-time to full-time to provide additional support to residents for park rentals and to assist the tax receiver during collection periods.
• Creating a pedestrian path to Maalwyck Park. With over $1 million in recent improvements at Maalwyck Park, including the new adaptive playground, new pavilion, and concession stand, it is even more important that pedestrian access to the park is readily available. To meet that need, the 2022 budget provides funding to construct a pedestrian path to link the neighborhoods below Mohawk Avenue to Maalwyck Park.
• Honoring our veterans with the new Legacy Park. After much effort, we were recently able to secure 6 acres of land on Dutch Meadows Lane as the home for Legacy Park to honor our region’s veterans. My 2022 budget provides $100,000 in funding to get this important project started while fundraising and grants are simultaneously pursued.
• Providing recreation opportunities for our youth. The 2022 budget continues $5,000 in funding for the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake summer rec program while also adding $5,000 in funding for Scotia-Glenville youth programs.
• Continuing the restoration of Yates Mansion. The 2022 budget includes $60,000 to further the restoration of this piece of Glenville history, which is listed on both the New York State Register of Historic Places and the federal National Register of Historic Places.
• Providing enhanced road paving for the third year in a row. In 2022, we will again utilize $150,000 from our capital reserve fund to accelerate our highway paving schedule.
The 2022 budget also meets the day-to-day needs to run municipal government operations. Funding is included to purchase two new plow trucks to replace trucks dating from 2004 and 2006; three new police vehicles; new fleet vehicles for the highway, parks, maintenance, and water departments; new computer servers and network switches; and a flail mower, skid steer, brush hog, and sander for public works.
I am proud that our hard work for the past 12 years has put us in a position to provide tax relief to all Glenville and Scotia residents during these difficult times. The 2022 tentative budget is fiscally sound, operationally effective, and fair to all. We will provide a tax cut to town and village residents, reduce expenses, invest in our town services and staffing, upgrade our infrastructure, enhance our community, and continue building a long-term, sustainable economic base for town residents. I offer my thanks to the Town Board, the Town Comptroller, the Highway Superintendent, the Police Chief, department heads, our employee unions, and the entire town staff for their hard work on this budget and for helping this Town Board maintain a strong fiscal foundation for the people of Glenville. For more budget information, please visit townofglenville.org.
Christopher A. Koetzle
Town Supervisor
September 30, 2021