T IMES
WALLKILL VALLEY
Vol. 35, No 15 3 APRIL 12 - 18, 2017
The
End
Page 43 Page 14
www .W allkill V alley T imes . net
Mayor: state is putting squeeze on smaller villages
The Walden Village Board began the
painstaking process of crafting a 2017-
2018 spending plan at the first of five
planned budget sessions at a meeting on
the evening of April 4. After the board’s
regularly scheduled gathering concluded,
the council set about the yearly ritual of
examining the budget line by line. The
current proposed budget, which is subject
to change, includes a 4.33 percent tax
levy increase, which is above the state-
mandated 1.15 percent tax cap.
Last Monday, the board directed
Village Attorney Dave Donovan to draft a
local law that would override the tax cap
if necessary. Like last year, it appears the
board will need to pierce the cap unless
the proposed levy increase can be slashed
at the remaining budget meetings. “We
haven’t taken action against piercing it
ONE DOLLAR
Bushmen
top VC
Walden set to pierce tax cap
By TED REMSNYDER
3
yet, because we didn’t want to do it if
we don’t have to,” Walden Mayor Susan
Rumbold said. “We still have meetings
next week with more department heads.
We’re still working on it, but if I had to
guess, it’s going to be hard not to (pierce
the cap). But of course we always make
every effort.”
The proposed budget was crafted by
Continued on page 4
Furry visitor
By TED REMSNYDER
J.P. Aponte
The Easter Bunny made his annual visit to Walden last weekend, greeting children at Oley Park. More photos on page 23.
Sidewalk
project
delayed
by state
bureaucracy
The extensive sidewalk renovations
that were slated to begin later this spring
in the Town of Shawangunk could be
delayed due to the protracted state
approval process. At the Town Board’s
March 2 meeting, the council approved a
$1,514,736 bid from the Whispering Pines
company to repair sidewalks along Bridge
Street, Church Street, Main Street, Park
Avenue and Central Avenue.
While the town hoped the work could
begin later this month or in May, the
board announced during its meeting last
Thursday that the State Department of
Transportation has yet give its blessing
to the town’s deal with the contracting
company. “We’re still waiting for the DOT
to approve the bid award,” Shawangunk
Supervisor John Valk said. “They have to
approve every step, and that was sent up
probably three or four weeks ago. It could
be a month.”
The sidewalk project (which has been
planned for nearly a decade) is funded to
the tune of 95 percent by a state grant.
The board hoped to finished the sidewalk
repairs before the Wallkill Bridge is
shuttered in June for renovations, but
state approval procedures could change
that timetable. “We thought it would be a
good time to do it in the summertime with
Continued on page 10
SERVING CRAWFORD, GARDINER, MAYBROOK, MONTGOMERY, PINE BUSH, SHAWANGUNK, WALDEN AND WALLKILL