Pleasantville to Remain Under Tax Cap in Preliminary 2017-18 Village Budget
By Erin Maher
The Village of Pleasantville unveiled last week its $15.6 million preliminary general fund budget for 2017-18 that is tax cap compliant and currently calls for proposed 0.58 percent tax rate increase.
There is a spending increase of about $745,000 over the current year’s budget. Some of that can be credited to an estimated 8 to 10 percent increase in health insurance costs. Benefits, including contributions to the employees’ state pension fund, are projected to cost the village more than $4 million.
The recent addition of The Panther Club, a K-8 after school program that is run out of Bedford Road School, has added an extra $200,000 to the budget, but has also seen offsetting revenue, said Village Administrator Patricia Dwyer.
During the Apr. 5 public hearing on the budget, Mayor Peter Scherer made note of his displeasure with the tax cap, which continues to hamper municipalities.
“We all have been running an extremely limited budget…the tax cap is ill-written and misunderstood,” Scherer said.
While the village has had to work within the limitations of the cap, it has not affected the village’s sound financial condition or its assets.
“The village is in a very healthy place financially,” Dwyer commented. “We think our local economy is very healthy.”
Pleasantville’s financial health is strong enough going into the next fiscal year, which beings June 1, that the proposed budget contains a projected surplus of $3,455,840.
“Our debt payments are down substantially from prior years, which gives us the opportunity to look to new capital planning needs,” Dwyer said.
Dwyer pointed out that $500,000 has been set aside into capital expenses for equipment upgrades, so purchases such as buying a truck, can be paid for with cash rather than using bonds, which would increase debt service.
Dwyer noted that about $150,000 in capital funds for 2017-18 year will be used for road resurfacing and another $50,000 toward sidewalk restoration. Pleasantville is also looking at completing transportation improvements, specifically on Tompkins Avenue, Vermilyea Street, Cooley Street, Manville Road and Washington Avenue. Pleasantville has applied for two state transportation grants and officials hope the village can obtain the grants to use the money to improve sidewalks and landscaping on Washington Avenue and a new center median and sidewalk upgrades for Manville Road.
The village will hold two work sessions, on Apr. 17 and 24, before the final budget is adopted on May 1.
For a complete breakdown of the proposed 2017-18 Village of Pleasantville budget, visit www.pleasantville-ny.gov.
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