Village 2008-2009 tax rate down 3.07%
progress continues in move to MCWA

   The Caledonia Village Board presented the 2008-09 budget at its Tuesday, April 1 meeting. The total $1,276,997 budget is an increase of less than $30,000 over the 2007-08 budget and results in a 3.07% decrease in the total amount to be raised by taxes, $876,622 or $9.36 per thousand of assessed property value as compared to the current rate of $9.56.

   Several departments will see budget reductions in 08-09 including buildings, clerks and both the DPW water and police departments.

   Significant reductions resulted from the court clerk’s position change to part time without benefits and restructuring the police department to two full time and three part time positions without benefits. The DPW water budget decrease is due to anticipated reduced maintenance after improvements in leak detection were completed this year and completed maintenance of the Graney Road water tower. Mayor Joe Caluorie said the village is looking at computer software that will further improve leak detection and track maintenance of water service. With the village moving toward switching to Monroe County Water Authority for its customers by fall 2008, leak detection and improved maintenance of individual services will be even more critical in minimizing the increased cost to customers.

   Scheduled road work in the coming year and employee raises contributed to increases in the code enforcement and general DPW departments.

   The mayor says the resounding good news is that the tax rate is down 20 cents per thousand from last year and the necessary roadwork and other village maintenance will be completed in 08-09.

   The water budget for 2008-09 is $328,847 with rates unchanged at $2.25 per thousand gallons of use, until the fall when the village begins buying water from the MCWA. Some expenditures in the water budget are lower due to the conversion to MC water.

   The village board continues to make progress on the move to MC water, Caluorie says. They’ve met with MCWA representatives and the Livingston County Water and Sewer Authority to ensure a smooth transition. In the coming weeks, all water users within the village system must be metered. Up until now, churches and other non-profit organizations were not metered customers. However, with the switch to MC water, every village property that receives water must become a metered, paying customer. Hydrants will also be metered. The VB will hold a meeting in the near future to explain these changes to customers. The village is also working on a plan to terminate its current water service. Caluorie says he is arguing to keep Caledonia’s well No. 2 as a non-potable (drinkable) water source for use by the fire department and for emergency uses.

    "I refuse to seal off a perfectly good source of water that produces over 500 gallons a minute. It’s not going to happen," Caluorie said, contending that no one can predict the future and what possible emergency circumstances could arise that would require using that local well.

   Meetings will be scheduled to keep customers updated on the details of the move to MC water, as they become agreed upon. The change could be in place by October.

 

Village Board makes progress on budget, water
and refuse contract

   The Caledonia Village Board is making progress at their meetings on a number of important issues. The board is preparing the 2008-09 budget, which includes a two-year refuse and recycling contract as one of the services village residents receive.

   Four companies submitted bids for the contract ranging from $179,000 to $345,000, including recyclables and yard refuse. The board discussed the contact service over two board meetings, acknowledging that the cost for refuse/recycle collection is significantly increasing on an annual basis. The board awarded the refuse/recycle bid to LT Disposal in the amount of $175,000 for the first year and $179,000 for the second year.

   Mayor Joe Caluorie said the board realizes that this is an important service to village residents but one that will require more discussion in future budgets. He’s met with and talked to other municipalities to find ways to deal with this rising expense. Some villages and towns are using a tag system. Residents purchase a tag for each bag of refuse that is discarded for collection. The revenue from the tag fees is used to offset the refuse expenditure in the town/village budget. Other villages do not offer refuse collection at all, leaving residents to secure their own private contract with a refuse collection company. Caluorie said he understands the important of continuing this service to residents, but is concerned about the rising costs to do so.

   "I can see bids here rising to $300,000 to $400,000. This village cannot afford that. We’ll have to do something different in the future," he commented.

   In other areas, Caluorie said spending is down for the 2008-09 budget.  Insurances that were rising annually have tapered off, he said. The police department budget was reduced by $50,000 due to the resignation of one full time officer. The board moved to abolish that full time police position and create one, possible two part time police positions. The board’s plan is to use part time police protection rather than full time, resulting in a savings on employee benefits. They approved the hiring of one additional part time officer, Jared Passamonte, and there is discussion to hire one more in the near future. If that happens, the Caledonia Police Department will include two full time officers, David Richardson and Chris Beach and two part time officers.   

   Water is the other major issue facing the village board at this time. The NYS Health Department is requiring the Village of Caledonia to secure an alternate public water source. The current village water system is safe for consumption, but due to a new environmental health law, underground well water systems are being phased out throughout New York State, including the Village of Caledonia’s. The village has been in negotiations with the Monroe County Water Authority to arrange a water purchase contract for its residents. Caluorie said talks are moving ahead but there are some logistics that must be completed before residents can turn the handle on their faucet and receive water from Monroe County. Those issues will be address in the next several months by the Caledonia DPW. Caluorie said residents can expect the change over to be in place by the fall of 2008. The mayor met with Senator Dale Volker to request $110,000 in funding to assist the village with the costs of decommissioning the existing municipal well located at the corner of Park Place and East Avenue. The village is awaiting approval of their request. 

   While the budget is still in the preliminary process, the mayor says it looks like the tax rate will go down again for the 2008-09 year. With each budget area still under consideration, the mayor says it’s too early to announce an exact dollar figure. One of the areas the board has agreed to increase is the legal expenses line item in the budget. Based on the number of legal battles this year that the village defended itself against, the board plans to set aside additional funds for legal expenses in the 2008-09 budget. Caluorie said legal battles are expensive for the village, the costs of which are passed on to the taxpayers.     

   The board continues to hold budget workshops and a final budget will be presented at a public hearing prior to an April 1, 2008 approval.