The Town of Batavia's level of staffing -- primarily in its engineering department -- and substantial tax increase came under fire Wednesday night, but Supervisor Gregory Post and the four council members stood up to the questions by communicating a strategy that focuses on providing the services necessary to ensure long-term sustainability and growth.
Eight people attended last night's public hearings on the town's sewer and water rates, and preliminary budget, the latter an $8.5 million spending plan (including fire, sewer and water districts) that calls for a tax levy of $1 million for 2017.
The proposed tax rate of $2.64 per thousand of assessed property value is an 86-percent increase over last year's tax rate of $1.42 per thousand -- with last year bringing the first town property tax in 35 years.
Water and sewer rates also are expected to increase in 2017, by about 3 percent and 10 percent, respectively.
The session began with town residents Joseph Jaszko and Mitchell Strong seeking answers regarding the town's engineering department.
"How many engineers do we have, and why are we paying them a quarter of a million dollars, plus vehicles, plus their insurance?" Jaszko said, noting that he is on a fixed income. "We never had all these people in the Town of Batavia before. Where do you think this money is coming from?"
Strong, who owns Strong Forge & Fabrication in the City of Batavia, followed up with the question "Why does the town need all these engineers and the city doesn't?" Both men inquired about the number of town employees overall.
Post, as he as stated previously at meetings leading up to the public hearings, said his many years of experience in local government has brought him to a point where having qualified, full-time professional engineers on staff is more beneficial to the town than contracting engineering firms on an as-needed basis.
"These P.E.'s are the biggest problem solvers and components necessary for us to carry out our strategic plan -- to build a model to sustain our community," said Post, adding that two full-time engineers and two full-time engineering technicians are among the 23 people employed full time by the town.
"I feel I did the best that I could do having witnessed 30 years of the town not having a full-time engineer," he continued. "Since our inception of this plan, we have attracted some pretty extraordinary development and leveraged money from numerous grants and loans, which have increased the town's assessed valuation by 40 percent."
The supervisor added that shared services agreements with other Genesee County towns -- in the areas of code enforcement, inspection, licensing and engineering services, for example -- result in money coming back to the Town of Batavia.
"A portion of some of these positions are paid by other communities," he said.
The 2017 budget is about $400,000 greater than last year's, and the 2017 tax levy of $1 million is a half-million dollars more than last year's. The new budget shows a $475,000 contribution from the town's unexpended fund balance.
Post said that leaves about $1.3 million left in the fund balance account.
"All costs to operate this community have doubled in the past 10 years, and they will continue to increase," he said. "It wouldn't be prudent to not have an unexpended fund balance at a $1.2 million baseline."
Strong said when he found out that the tax rate was going to jump from $1.42 to $2.64, "some bells started going off."
"That's why I'm here tonight," he said. "I'm not questioning how you run your business, but 87 percent (actually 86) in one year ... that's crazy."
Post countered by saying the tax rate should have been $2.84 per $1,000 last year, but the board opted for less.
He did say that the $2.64 proposed for 2017 "carries us through the year 2020."
"Our engineers and financial consultants are projecting true costs, looking at the levy versus reserves, and (have determined) that we could keep it at that rate," Post said. "We're anticipating a substantial increase in revenues and would be able to maintain the unexpended fund balance at $1.2 million."
At the close of the session, which lasted about 90 minutes, Strong said he had a clearer understanding of the process, but encouraged the town to shave expenses.
"They have to look at cost reduction," he said. "My customers are constantly after us to cut costs."
Meetings are Open to the Public
Post said he welcomed the public input at the meeting, and advised all town residents that the Town Board meets every Wednesday around 5 p.m. for work sessions at Town Hall on West Main Street Road, and that board meetings are on the third Wednesday of the month, starting at 7 p.m. All meetings are open to the public. More information can be obtained by contacting the town clerk at 343-1729.
