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Mid Hudson Times, Wednesday, November 14, 2018
New Windsor adjusts budget as Green defends process
By WAYNE A. HALL
Rejecting complaints as bogus about
the proposed 2019 New Windsor town
budget, Supervisor George Green gave an
impassioned response Nov. 7 at a packed
town hall meeting to criticisms about the
proposed town spending plan going over
its state mandated spending limits.
“The final 2019 budget levy is
approximately one percent below the state
mandated tax cap of two percent which
equates to $148,731 below the allowable tax
levy,” said Green.
That works out, he said, to a typical
property tax bill increase to $47.23 in 2019
based on a typical single family home
assessed at $40,000.
Based on that example a homeowner
paying general fund, highway, ambulance
and garbage bills and water would see an
overall tax bill of $809.59 for the general
fund,380.78 for highway, 49.90 ambulance,
which represent a 2019 tax bill change
from 2018 of $47.23 based on a typical
family home assessed at $40,000.
The town earlier voted to exceed the
property cap spending control but that
was precautionary but was not needed,
said Green, because of cost controls.
Green said after savings and adjustments
were made, the tax bill for the town of
New Windsor portion of the tax bill for
2019 tax bill will increase to $47.23 in 2019.
“The final 2019 budget levy is
approximately one percent below the state
two percent cap which equates to $148,731
below the allowable tax cap” said Green.
Town Democratic committee head
Betty Ann Yaris led two well-attended
demonstrations outside town hall against
the proposed spending plan before it was
adopted.
Green said the town has found savings
in the proposed 2019 spending plan to keep
costs under new state tax spending limits
designed to give homeowners tax relief.
Speaking at the
Windsor justice
courtroom Green accused political
candidates of spreading misinformation
about the budget.
This is the eighth year in a row that New
Windsor has not exceeded its tax cap.
The town board did as it has most recent
years voted to exceed the cap but that was
a precaution not necessary to take, Green
said.
Also, he said, two major spending items,
the general fund for many operations and
highway spending will see “zero increase”
over the 2018 rate.
Overall, said Green, the town budget
represents a one percent increase after a
lengthy and detailed spending review by
department heads whose approvals and
recommendations were in stages and then
went to the supervisor for final approval.
He also chastised unnamed “recently
local media and Democratic party
officials” of spreading false rumors about
the budget.
Yaris said
the demonstrations
“pressured the town to remap the budget,”
a claim strongly denied by Green in his
budget presentations.
“Entirely false,” said Green.”Either
these people (criticizing the budget)
are completely clueless or recklessly
concocting lies for political gain.”
“New Windsor,” said Green, “can be
proud to live in a town where taxes will
remain under the two percent tax cap.”
Salaries in the budget for public officials
are $130,000 for the supervisor, while the
four town board members will divide
$71,396.
Assemblyman-elect plans transition
Assemblyman-elect Colin Schmitt (r) from the 99th NYS Assembly District and Orange
County Executive Steve Neuhaus met in Goshen to discuss Schmitt’s transition into the State
Assembly and their joint top priorities. Schmitt resigned as Chief of Staff in the town of
New Windsor last Wednesday, one day after he was elected to the State Assembly, replacing
James Skoufus, who was elected to the State Senate.
“I look forward to continuing to work with Colin in his new role as a State Assemblyman,”
Neuhaus said. “ His election is a testament to his work ethic and passion for public service.
We have already begun to discuss ideas that will benefit Colin’s district and I know he will
successfully represent the 99th District and its residents.”
Schmitt said he has been in communication with Skoufus on the transition and is assembling
“a bi-partisan transition committee that is still in formation and will be announced shortly.”
He said he is also in contact with the town supervisors and mayors in the 99th Assembly
Districtrict that includes the town of New Windsor.
Harvey rips city manager in recording
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sheets in the recording by getting paid for time he has
taken off.
Harvey has declined to comment on the content of
the recording. Neither Rayford nor Ciaravino returned
phone calls seeking comment.
The ethical question of recording a private conversation
without consent is what Harvey finds so disturbing.
“I should feel secure in talking about [city matters]
privately,” said Harvey. “Now everybody is afraid of
these elements. We have the right to privacy. Anytime a
person is recorded privately this is violation of ethics.”
In New York State it is legal to record a conversation
between two individuals with the consent of one
individual in the conversation. The “one party consent”
law means that Rayford’s recording is legal.
National Air Guard and Department of Defense to answer questions
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interact with the public.
The DOH will be present to answer questions
regarding the health effects of the contamination.
“The visit is a response by the Air Force and
Department of Defense to address issues presented by
our congressional leaders,” said Sgt. Sara Pastorello,
Air Force Public Affairs Superintendent in a statement.
“The focus of the secretaries’ visit is to receive a brief
on base efforts to identify and mitigate drinking water
contamination, that originated from the bases’ prior use
of aqueous film forming foam.”
Prior to the open house a meeting will be held
at Stewart National Guard Base and in the City of
Newburgh with secretaries from the Department of
Defense and the Air Force.
John Henderson, Assistant Secretary of the Air
Force, Installations, Environment and Energy and
Robert McMahon, Assistant Secretary of Defense for
Sustainment will represent the Department of Defense
and the Airforce. They will meet with community leaders,
elected officials and Orange County Representatives.