Councilor Nicholas Marzola said the board worked diligently to keep expenses tight, and while there was a decrease in non-personnel costs, there was a 2 percent increase in employee and benefit related costs due to raises and the upcoming increase in retirements in 2011. Marzola also said state cutbacks had an impact on the budget.
Supervisor Mark Tetley said that overall this was a good budget, and there is still more than adequate funds in reserve leaving the town in good shape.
The annual fire district contracts with the villages of Minoa and Fayetteville were approved at the meeting, while the approval for the contract with the village of Manlius was postponed.
Fayetteville Mayor Mark Olson explained that the $160,000 increase in their contract is a temporary increase due to bond payments in this fiscal year, and won’t be there next year. Olson said the bond payment of $173,000 in this budget year would only be $68,000 for the next fiscal year.
The village of Manlius fire district contract’s approval was put on hold because the town board wanted to double check a contract due to disagreement over an administrative fee. Village Trustee Harold Hopkinson said that everyone affected by the fire coverage should pay their fair share, instead of having it fall on the village taxpayers. The town board decided to review the contract once more before voting on it, which is scheduled to take place at the next board meeting, to be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday Dec. 9 at the Manlius Town Hall in Fayetteville.
Jennifer Kiefl is a regular contributing writer for the Eagle Bulletin.
