Published: November 04, 2009 11:53 pm      

PENDLETON: Town board adopts status quo budget

PENDLETON — The town board adopted a status quo 2010 budget Wednesday night.

The $4.3 million spending plan anticipates a nickel increase in the fire tax. The highway tax is down a penny per $1,000 of assessed value, while water tax and the per-unit refuse pickup fee will be held steady.

The fire tax will rise to 99 cents from 94 cents due to a increase in the amount of money the town has to put into its firefighters’ pension fund next year, Supervisor Jim Riester said. That vested fund lost money last year, just like the state Employee Retirement System did. The town will forward $200,000 to the fund for retired volunteer firefighters, up $14,000 from the amount it paid this year.

Overall, the budget anticipates town spending will rise about $300,000 next year. The board agreed to dip into fund balances to close the gap between spending and income.

Generally, cost increases are tied to employee-related costs: average 3-percent raises for town employees except town board members, in addition to a roughly 50 percent increase in the amount the town must pay into the employees’ pension fund.

The increases are covered somewhat by projected reduced spending on liability insurance and fuel, according to Bergman.

The sole new spending line in the budget is $20,000 for bike paths maintenance. The line was created to avoid the highway department budget from being hit with maintenance expenses. It’s pretty much just a number, as there’s no expectation maintenance will cost that amount, Riester said. It’ll be adjusted in 2011 according to actual spending next year. Addition of the line does not cost taxpayers, he added, since there is no property tax levied to finance general town administration; sales and mortgage tax are the two largest sources of revenue to finance town operations exclusive of the highway department and special districts.

The highway tax will be cut to 54 cents per $1,000 of property value from 55 cents this year.

The refuse disposal fee will remain $183 per home.

The water tax will remain 29 cents per $1,000 of property value in town water district No. 1, and 25 cents in district No. 2.

Some property owners face an increase in their 2010 tax bill even though tax rates are flat. Overall assessed value of the town increased $7.6 million, to $446.4 million, in the past year, according to Bergman’s figures.

Sewer users will see an increase of $25.65 per grinder pump unit on their property, to build savings for repairs in three sewer districts, Bergman said. Townwide, there are about 650 sewer users.