Mohan will reconsider proposed positions
Budget public hearing
by JESSICA L. FINCH Associate Editor

In his second attempt at a town budget, Supervisor Satish Mohan prepared a less controversial budget.

During Monday's public budget hearing residents were more concerned with the Community Improvement Project list than the actual budget.

In fact, few residents spoke about the budget numbers but didn't hold back in attacking Mohan's procedure in presenting the budget to the public.

Resident George Richmond said very little information about the budget was available before the public hearing. He said Mohan was hurting himself by appearing to hide something.

"They think you are trying to cheat them," Richmond said, adding that Monday's presentation finally informed the residents of what the budget included.

Richmond continued, saying Mohan should have learned how to conduct an open process during these past two years.

A significant change proposed in the 2008 Town of Amherst budget was to fill three administrative positions - plant superintendent, purchasing manager and budget manger - and create an engineering job in the Building Department.

Mohan said not having the budget manager and purchasing manager positions filled this past year was a mistake he wants to correct.

But the residents who spoke about the purchasing manager position said it wasn't necessary. Bob Collins of Harlem Road called the position "highly political."

"There is no cost savings to a municipality," he said, adding it's a position just to decide who gets what from whom. "Amherst doesn't need these four new positions."

Roger Le Goff of Williamsville said he agreed that a purchasing manager was unnecessary.

"Anyone with industrial management experience knows that," he said.

The other three positions were not heavily targeted.

Town Engineer Jeff Burroughs said he supported the request for a plant superintendent, which has been vacant since 2001.

"The plant is the town's biggest asset, worth $200 million," he said. "I spend half to three-quarters of my time with plant issues, that's time taken away from other projects."

The town spends an estimated $14 million at Plant 16 each year, Mohan said.

Following the public hearing Mohan said he would consider reducing the four positions to two, but wanted to keep funding for the purchasing manager and plant superintendent in 2008.

The Town Board will meet at 3 p.m. Monday, Oct. 29 to submit final amendments to the tentative budget and adopt the final version. The State requires towns adopt their budgets by Nov. 20, but Amherst had scheduled an earlier date, in part to avoid last year's fiasco in which the board failed to adopt a final budget by midnight on the final day.

As it stands the budget is $115.83 million, an increase of $2.37 million from last year. The tax levy will decrease by 1.2 percent.

"The tax levy is the most critical part of the budget for residents," Mohan said. "From 2002 to 2005 we had a steep increase in taxes; 30.3 percent."

Mohan said revenues have increased .7 percent, an area that he said needs work. The total revenue for 2008 is estimated at $36.41 million.

The main increase in 2008 is personnel costs, Mohan said. Since 2006, the cost has grown from $43.5 million to $46.99 for wages, with benefits estimated to cost $20.8 million in 2008, a 5.6 percent increase over three years.

Mohan said the 2.9 percent increase for the operating budget is an improvement from the past. In one year, from 2004 to 2005, the town saw an increase of 10 percent.

While many of the funds didn't see a large increase, the Community Environment Fund will be rising 9 percent.

"We need to buy more totes, we didn't bond enough," Mohan said about the increase.

Services are always a major concern of residents when it comes to budget season. Mohan said "essential services are fully funded." That includes Meals on Wheels, snow removal and police and fire agencies.

The Town Board has agreed to a three-year agreement to increase fire budgets 3 percent each year. That will also help fund the approximately $5,000 being used each year to complete audits, requested by Mohan.

Surprisingly quiet during the public hearing was Mohan's request to reduce the general fund to 10 percent, using $6 million towards taxes.

"Am I robbing savings of the town?" Mohan asked out loud during his budget presentation.

He answered with no.

According to Mohan, the town's policy allows a minimal percentage of 10. According to his presentation, the average has been 10.9 percent from 2002- 2007.

At 10 percent, the general fund will have $11.5 million in 2008.

"We will return more to the people, whom all this savings belong," Mohan said.

Comptroller Frank Belliotti has stated he is not comfortable with reducing the general fund to 10 percent, saying that is the absolute minimum that it should be at.

The public hearing was left open. Residents wishing to comment can e-mail Mohan at smo han@amherst.ny.us, or contact the council members. Resolutions are due by 11 a.m. today to change the budget.

The budget is posted online at, www.amherst.ny.us and just recently were put in the town's libraries, availably during library hours.

The budget public hearing will not be shown on TV as Time Warner said it wasn't given the 30 days notice needed for a special meeting.