Highway Department
2007 budget proposes material, overtime cuts
by JESSICA L. FINCH Associate Editor

A $2 million reduction in the 2007 Highway Department budget would mean a cut to equipment, hours, personnel and materials, Highway Superintendent Bob Anderson said.

During ongoing efforts to clean up debris, Anderson explained to The Amherst Bee why he is not happy with the 2007 tentative Town of Amherst budget.

"There were significant overtimes cuts. We don't have overtime hours just because - it's all emergency work," he said, adding that a large percentage of overtime is used for snow removal.

Anderson said he knows what his department needs annually with no extra padding, noting that his requests are based on three years of research and analyzing where every dollar is spent.

"Just trying to cut 10 percent is completely wrong and unfair. There is not a 10 percent cushion in my budget," he said about Supervisor Satish Mohan's attempt to cut spending.

Several areas of the highway department had reduced funding:

+ Summer help - hired to assist in the parks and on golf courses, as well as ditch cleaning.

 Employment - retirements of a heavy equipment operator and a crew chief position will be filled by employees moving up rank, but then lower positions will be left vacant.

 Salt - the budget for this line item was cut by almost $400,000.

 Fuel - cuts of $87,000 are in the tentative budget.

 Overtime - an overall townwide cut of 50 percent is proposed.

Anderson said the proposed $2 million reduction will force him to overspend, especially with oil prices not remaining stable. Forced to stay within a certain number of hours a week could put the department in a difficult position in the event of an overnight snowfall.

"We would have to decide when it snows to either go out at night, or in the morning during regular worktime hours," he said.

Anderson also reviewed the highway reserve fund which is slightly lower than its suggested percentage. He said that on one hand the department is being told the reserve has to be built up to improve the bond rating but on the other hand it is being told cuts have to made.

"Looking at the last few years and the money spent, there is just no way the highway budget can be cut $2 million," Anderson said. "I had a lot of figures to back up the money spent over the last few years."

Recently, requests for equipment purchases have been been turned down, Anderson said. He said he plans to resubmit his requests, which includes a tree truck which would have been helpful during storm cleanup.

Anderson said a meeting with Mohan and the Town Board had been planned to discuss his concerns but that has been postponed because of the storm.

Comptroller Frank Belliotti discussed his views of the budget at Monday's work session, commenting on the 50 percent cut to overtime.

"Overtime was a big budget reduction in a lot of people's departments," Belliotti said, adding it will be a challenge for departments who expected overtime money and they would need time to plan ahead.

He added that one concern was Mohan's contingency budget because of the number of "dips" into funding. Belliotti said he was concerned that Mohan has said additional overtime money would come from that fund but there may not be enough. Initially the contingency money was designated for funding for raises.

In 2006 the major budget issues were health insurance and utility costs with overspending estimated at $4 million this past summer. Belliotti said those issues are under control for 2007.

Meetings with many of the department heads will be taking place to address ongoing concerns.

"Most are satisfied," Mohan said about the town departments.

The 2007 tentative budget will be the focus of a public hearing at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 6 at town hall, 5583 Main St. The final budget must be adopted by the majority of the Town Board by the end of November.