Municipal budget season begins with Deerpark proposing decrease

HUGUENOT – Town of Deerpark
Supervisor Gary Spears presented his 2016 tentative budget to the town
board proposing a 0.29 percent drop in the tax levy. This is the fourth
consecutive year that Spears has been involved in the budget process as
either a town board member or town supervisor and the spending plan has
come in at either a one percent change or below.
Spears attributed the hold-the-line budget to a restructuring of town operations to achieve cost savings and optimal efficiency in operations.
The tentative budget is subject to review by the town board and the state Comptroller’s Office. A preliminary budget will be adopted in early October with a public hearing held in early November and a final spending plan adopted by November 20.
The proposed budget includes continued funding for senior citizen activities, successful town-wide cleanup projects, ongoing youth programs and municipal upgrades and maintaining increased funding for road repaving.  It also provides for funding to begin construction of a proposed police department annex to the town hall.