REGIONAL – As prescribed by law, all town budgets are due by week's end... and all budgets from around our coverage area are now in. And residents will see increases that are well under what would be permissible under the state's tax-cap legislation of recent years.

The Rochester town council approved its 2015 budget on November 6; the overall increase will be 1.48 percent or, as supervisor Carl Chipman pointed out, "4.18 percent lower than taxes were in 2008. I don't think any other town in New York State can say that."

Standout items included the dropping of Safety Net welfare program costs and similar drops in election costs over the next three years. Savings were also realized through the controversial shuttering of the town transfer station two days a week and employee attrition saved $160,000 a year, as well as the negotiating of a new insurance plan that uses higher deductibles and copays. On the revenue side are new grants helping the establishment of a Rochester constabulary, as well as more work on its portion of the regional rail trail system.

Still outstanding for the coming year are costs associated with waste removal, an issue hitting all Ulster County municipalities.

In Rosendale, the town board adopted a $3.76 million budget on November 12 that will increase the combined town general and highway tax levy by 2.71 percent in 2015. Overall spending will rise by $178,675, or 4.98 percent, and while the amount to be raised by property taxes is set at $2.64 million, an increase of $89,762 or 2.71 percent.... which comes under 2 percent when translated into tax levy terms.

Supervisor Jeanne Walsh said employee health insurance was among the most difficult aspects of the budget, along with the rising cost of salt and sand. Meanwhile, the supervisor's salary was upped $8,268, or 12.75 percent to $73,128, while most other elected officials saw their salaries rise between four and nine percent, excepting the town clerk, whose salary dropped.

In Wawarsing, the 2015 town budget was approved November 13 and sent off to Ulster County with final figures only a little different from the preliminary budget first presented, while still below the tax cap and last years' final budget. Total budgetary appropriations stand at $10,858,279, with the amount to be raised by taxes at $8,307,047.94. Rising costs included recreation, highway department equipment and anticipated snow removal costs, while revenue increases included state aid. The contingency budget rose from $50,000 to $150,000.

In the town of Crawford, supervisor Charles Carnes announced the adoption of the 2015 budget of just under five million dollars Tuesday night, November 18, noting that the town was below the tax cap for the third time in a row. The general rate this year will rise 2.16 percent, or about $20 for a home valued at approximately $250,000. Because the town fell below the NYS tax cap any property rise in taxes will be reimbursed by the state. The lighting district as well as the water and sewer district will show a decrease in their 2015 rates.

"Our primary budget stayed pretty much the same," said Michael Warren, Marbletown supervisor said, of his board's ability to keep their general fund to less than a one percent increase and the highway department budget to a little over one percent, totaling a 1.9 percent rise. That includes a $100,000 plus increase in health care costs offset by shared assessor services with Rosendale and more anticipated savings once a move of town offices into the new Rondout Valley Municipal Center can take place next year.

In Mamakating, a final budget was passed on the 13th, at a budget meeting, and submitted last Friday. All told, it showed a total 1.41 percent increase in taxes, well under the mandated cap based on cuts to the town's highway department costs and various departments, offsetting rises to special district expenses in the two village's fire districts.

Finally, in Shawangunk, longstanding supervisor John Valk made sure his town's budget was passed November 6, with property taxes going up 1.98 percent through use of reserve funds.

On to a new year now...