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Bath village officials will take their first look at next year’s spending plan when they meet at 4 p.m. Thursday.
The current budget of $4.1 million carried a levy of $2.6 million and raised taxes 4 percent. The current tax rate is $21.11 per $1,000 full valuation.
Village officials were hampered last year in developing their 2011-12 budget because previous clerks had left the village’s financial records in shambles.
That forced the board to estimate many costs and revenues, and cut services, reducing part-time police dispatchers and police equipment and saving $177,000.
The village utility, Bath Electric Gas and Water Systems, also will begin preparing its budget for village board approval.
The BEGWS budget also may present problems, since a scheduled electric rate increase has not been approved by the state Public Service Commission.
According to a presentation by Hudson Energy Group’s Frank Radison, the state board wants BEGWS to provide updated financial information on the substation now under construction on Fairview Drive.
The PSC also wants three areas to be resolved: a longstanding labor dispute; the alleged excess pay to retired BEGWS executive Matt Benesh and his secretary, Susan Daniels; and a sign-off from the state Comptroller’s office on all issues raised in state audit, released in December 2009.
Bath village officials will take their first look at next year’s spending plan when they meet at 4 p.m. Thursday.
The current budget of $4.1 million carried a levy of $2.6 million and raised taxes 4 percent. The current tax rate is $21.11 per $1,000 full valuation.
Village officials were hampered last year in developing their 2011-12 budget because previous clerks had left the village’s financial records in shambles.
That forced the board to estimate many costs and revenues, and cut services, reducing part-time police dispatchers and police equipment and saving $177,000.
The village utility, Bath Electric Gas and Water Systems, also will begin preparing its budget for village board approval.
The BEGWS budget also may present problems, since a scheduled electric rate increase has not been approved by the state Public Service Commission.
According to a presentation by Hudson Energy Group’s Frank Radison, the state board wants BEGWS to provide updated financial information on the substation now under construction on Fairview Drive.
The PSC also wants three areas to be resolved: a longstanding labor dispute; the alleged excess pay to retired BEGWS executive Matt Benesh and his secretary, Susan Daniels; and a sign-off from the state Comptroller’s office on all issues raised in state audit, released in December 2009.
