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Southern Ulster Times, Wednesday, November 1, 2017
Marlborough Supervisor race features rematch
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recovery of $50,000 in grant money. He said this money
came through NYS Assemblyman Frank Skartados and
was earmarked to pay, in part, for the replacement of
the Milton Train station roof but it sat in limbo because
the previous administration failed to fill out the proper
paperwork that was needed.
Lanzetta
successfully
negotiated a long-term water
deal with the Town of Newburgh
that had built a $20.6 million
state-of-the art filtration plant.
In the agreement, worked out
with Newburgh Supervisor Gil
Piaquadio, Marlborough paid back
fees of nearly $1million from a
dedicated fund balance for water
service they received from 2011-2016. Another $250,000
was owed because Newburgh’s water rate had gone up
during this period while Marlborough was paying at the
old rate. To fix this, Marlborough paid $50,000 in 2016
and agreed to pay it off at $50,000/yr. for the next four
years. In addition to these calculations, Lanzetta said
Marlborough will pay $175,000/yr. for their water from
2017 through 2031. This portion is being paid for by an
increase in water rates to residents.
“It supplies Marlborough actually with the best water
in the country; it’s just beautiful water. It’s something
that had to be done and we did it and got it accomplished,”
he said.
Lanzetta has taken steps to bring sewer infrastructure
to Route 9W, linking up by the traffic light at the
Elementary/Middle Schools on up to the Industrial Park
at Riverview Drive. NYS Assemblyman Frank Skartados
and NYS Sen. William Larkin have collectively secured
$500,000 for this infrastructure work.
Lanzetta said the Town Board and all of the
department heads worked together to bring the 2018
budget in at about 1.9 percent above this year. He pointed
out that the Police Department will not be purchasing
a new police car and their overall departmental budget
has dropped by $5,000 to $1,143,001; there will be an
$80,000 reduction in the Highway General Repair line (for
paving) bringing this to $367,000. In addition, the Milton
Fire District budget has dropped by $32,400 to $570,500.
“We’ve streamlined most of every department
right down to exactly what they’re using because it’s
unsustainable to keep using your fund balance,” he said.
Lanzetta pointed out that last year the board tapped
$175,000 from the fund balance to offset taxes but in 2018
they will appropriate only $75,000. There is also a 14.23
percent hike in health insurance benefits for employees
that is impacting the town budget.
Lanzetta said the Town Board works “very hard
for the community to keep taxes low and we all have
V OTE ROW A
BAKER
Councilman
LANZETTA KOENIG
Supervisor
Councilman
APPLER
Hwy. Spt.
the same vision about the Route 9W corridor being an
economic base and having our farms be pristine to the
west. We’re moving forward, we’re business friendly and
new businesses over the past 22 months have opened in
Marlborough. I can’t emphasize more that it’s a team
effort. I am the leadership of the team but without the
Town Board behind me and in unison together, especially
Alan Koenig and Howard Baker who are running with
me, it would be difficult.”
Tom Coupart - Republican
Tom Coupart is back. He tossed his hat into the
political area earlier this year and was later nominated
to run for Town Supervisor at
the Republican caucus. He said
receiving the support at the
caucus was “very humbling and
I was very, very pleased and
excited about getting involved
again.”
Coupart moved back to
his hometown from Florida
ostensibly to be near family but
found that people frequently
stopped by his Western Avenue home to urge him to
run again. He previously served as Supervisor from 1998
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