Scotia lawmakers revise proposed spending plan

The revised general budget proposal for the 2024-25 fiscal year now calls for $9,228,290 in total spending, an increase of 9.21%, or $778,590 compared with the $8.4 million in the current operating budget. A previous spending plan introduced at the end of March called for $9,237,023 in spending, an increase of 9.32% compared with the current 2023-24 budget.

But the tax levy has been slashed by $108,743 under the revised proposal, a move that is expected to save the average homeowner in the village around $40 on their upcoming tax bill compared with the previous budget proposal.

The new proposal carries a tax levy — or amount the village can raise from property taxes — of $6.2 million, a 7.65% increase compared with the current levy of $5.7 million. Under the previous budget proposal, the tax levy would have increased by 9.53% to $6.3 million.

The reduced tax levy can be attributed to $325,000 in fund-balance appropriations — an increase of $100,000 compared with the previous budget proposal.

Lawmakers on Wednesday also voted to eliminate stipend increases for trustees, the mayor and village justice, creating a combined savings of $1,443. Trustees also voted to approve a worker’s compensation insurance policy, creating an additional $7,300 in savings.

The spending cuts build on $15,000 lawmakers previously eliminated from the proposed spending plan in March.

If the revised spending plan is ultimately approved, the village’s property tax rate would grow to $16.23 per $1,000 of assessed property value — a 7.35% increase compared with the current budget, but around 2 percentage points less than the previous budget proposal that would have increased the tax rate by 9.5%.

Mayor David Bucciferro, during last Wednesday’s board meeting, said he did not take the budget process lightly and believes lawmakers have put forward “a fair budget.”

“We are being as judicious as humanly possible,” he said.

A bulk of the new spending can be attributed to two things: $365,677 in combined increases to medical and retirement expenses for village employees, including fire and police personnel, and the first bond payment of $376,950 associated with ongoing upgrades to village-owned facilities.

The facilities project accounts for 6.54% of the proposed tax levy increase, according to Bucciferro, who noted that the project is currently under budget, which may decrease the final bond value.

The village has also been pursuing grant funding to offset the costs, though those efforts remain ongoing.

“We have held the line on non-facility related spending,” he said.

Without the bond payment, the tax levy increase under the proposed budget would only have increased by 1.11%, well below the allowable increase of 3.7% under the state’s property tax cap law.

Lawmakers unanimously approved a local law to override the state’s tax cap in March. No one spoke at a public hearing prior to the vote.

Village residents approved $13.8 million in borrowing for the facilities project in a 2022 referendum by a margin of 440-369. Prior to the vote, the village hosted a series of public meetings that outlined the impact the project would have on taxpayers.

The presentation has also been posted on the village’s website since April 22, 2022. According to the presentation, the project would have an estimated $193 annual tax increase for property with an assessed value of $100,000.

Still, some on social media have been outraged with the potential tax increase since the initial budget proposal was unveiled last month and have been critical of lawmakers, prompting Bucciferro to release a note to village residents last week ahead of Wednesday’s meeting outlining the budget process and encouraging people to take a more active role in their government.

“Social media has great value to many individuals for various reasons, however, if you have a question, want to hear about something in the village, or have a concern you want to voice, please reach out directly to us,” the mayor wrote in his April 9 letter. “We can assure you no one is hiding information and we are as transparent as the law allows.”

Lawmakers are expected to approve the proposed spending plan during a special meeting Monday at 7:30 p.m. at Village Hall.