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Tonight's Town Board meeting painted a dire picture of what a 2% tax cap would look like with a cut to a third of the police force and a reduction to the highway department, the town clerk and receiver of taxes office. Yes, this is same law that Joseph Kakish said he would embrace and Aileen Rohr would tackle with a 'sharp pencil.' The town attorney Jim Horan provided disturbing information that NYS has not finalized or provided any direction on how towns will implement or proceed in regards to this law. Additionally, this was a law that was expected to be heeded with no allowed time for preparation. It was a Wham! Bam! Thank You Governor Cuomo!

Some figures that were rather frightening:

1) The mortgage tax in 2004 was $1.4 million dollars at it's peak. It's projected to to be at $325,000 this year. Do the math. The housing bust and high rate of foreclusures really affected this town. Unfortunately, thanks to the anti-commercial growth movement, this town does not have the means to compensate these lost monies through a commercial tax base.

2)The current Town Board used approximately $360,000 versus over $4.5 million dollars over the previous four years.

Let's take a peek at the Highlights of the Town Board Meeting.

1) Joseph Kakish was unsure of what his property taxes were consisted of.  It was explained to him by the Supervisor and Councilman using a pie chart model that his property taxes are comprised of school taxes which is approx. 71% and the remaining 29% includes state, local and special districts. Mr. Kakish's concern that an increase to the tax rate would put people out of their homes was dispelled by Mr. Michael Taylor pointing out that even a 10% increase in town taxes, which generally is approximately $500 a year, would be equivalent to $50 a year, or $4 a month. While times are tough, Mr. Taylor speculated that an additional cost of $4 a month (equivalent to a 4 pack of toilet paper or two cups of DD coffee),  is very unlikely to cause a homeowner lose their home.

2) Mr. Kakish's request for more preliminary budget models that do not follow the 2% tax cap is unrealistic.  How so? Well, the Town Board members stated that the current 2011 Budget could be duplicated for 2012 with monies from the general fund.
However, at what percentage of a tax increase would Mr. Kakish like the Town Board to create a budget. 3%? 5%? 10%? 20%? The budget is so dynamic is is virtually impossible to create multiple budgets to reflect the town's needs. The preliminary budget that was created was to demonstrate the effects of the 2% tax cap law.
But then again, Mr. Kakish was unaware that even a 10% increase in the town tax would be equivalent to a few cups of coffee a month over the course of a year's time.

3) Mr. Kakish also received a crash course in how resolutions are introduced, adopted and voted on. Mr. Taylor had to explain to the hopeful supervisor candidate exactly how town boards introduce and pass resolutions and no, the Local Law C wasn't being voted on that evening, but would be voted on November 7, 2011. Silly Kakish, don't you know you went to law school?


4) The Supervisor and the Town Attorney expunged Ms. Rohr's campaign idea of renting out the Hyde Park police/court facility to combining services. Mr. Jim Horan indicated that municipalites court facilites cannot be combined due to varying State Laws. Apparently Ms. Rohr did not do much research into this issue.

5)Combining highway services is also a no-go as the union contracts within town municipalites must be considered.

6) Sue Serino was rather repetitious especially during the preliminary budget discussion.

a)she asked what was in the fund balance to which she was directed to look at the preliminary budget that she was in her possession.

b)she asked when the preliminary budget would be completed  that received a response from  the Comptroller stating that Ms. Serino  possessed the preliminary budget.

c)she was unsure and confused of the agenda and the introduction of Local Law C and if is was being voted in that evening.

d) She abstained from voting on the budget amendment because of her assumption that the preliminary budget was bogus and the town board would somehow have a concentration of power through this resolution.

Ms. Serino appeared disoriented at times with frequent iteration of and needing futher clarification of the already detailed discussions of the resolutions, which leads to speculation of her mental state during this meeting. Let us hope that she wasn't planning on driving after this event.

7) Mr. Langan was again absent from the Town Board Meeting, now at a record of almost two months of absenteeism. 


All who read this blog are encouraged to watch the Town Board meeting on local Cablevision Channel 22 for further clarification and explanation of the budget and the effects of the 2% tax cap and to witness the   re-education of Joseph Kakish and to speculate on whatexact Ms. Serino consumed prior to the Town Board Meeting.