Friday, November 30, 2012

NYS Town Law regarding budgets



    §  109.  Final  revision  and  adoption of budget. 1. After the public
  hearing, the town  board  may  further  change,  alter  and  revise  the
  preliminary budget, subject, however, to the requirements of subdivision
  one of section one hundred seven of this chapter.
    2.  The  preliminary  budget  as submitted or amended shall be finally
  adopted by resolution of the town board not later than the twentieth day
  of November, except that in towns in Westchester and Monroe counties not
  later than the twentieth day of  December.  The  preliminary  budget  as
  adopted  shall be known as the annual budget for the town for the fiscal
  year beginning on the first day of January next succeeding, and it shall
  be entered in the minutes of the town board.
    3. Upon the adoption of the resolution required by  this  section  the
  amounts  proposed to be appropriated shall thereupon be appropriated. In
  the event that the town board shall fail to adopt a  budget  as  of  the
  twentieth  day  of  November,  or  in  towns  in  Westchester and Monroe
  counties as of the twentieth day of December,  the  preliminary  budget,
  with such changes, alterations and revisions, if any, as shall have been
  made  by  the  town  board,  shall constitute the budget for the ensuing
  fiscal year.

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In the case of the failed Fishkill budget this is what is important.

The preliminary budget is the responsibility of the entire town board. Ergo, 
the entire town board is responsible for the 53% tax increase. 

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Councilman Buck claims that Supervisor LaColla denied him access to 2013 budget

This is the letter that Councilman Curry read for Councilman Buck. Who was absent for the 2013 budget vote. Buck claims that Supervisor LaColla ordered the Comptroller not to speak with any board member. Whats ironic about this claim. Is that before the letter was read. A citizen asked LaColla how the town was fiscally ruined. He responded by saying the previous Supervisor denied him access to the same thing that Buck is alleging.

Buck never mentioned any of this at any board meeting. Not only that, he never offered and alternative to the budget. He also never took this to the press or the citizens of Fishkill.

It is clear that Buck was trying protect himself and not the citizens of Fishkill. He can try all he can, but this 5-0 all GOP board, increased your taxes in Fishkill by 53%. He can duck, spin and weave all he want's. But Buck is one of the main reasons that your taxes are going up 53%.

Now here is the letter he sent to Curry to be read at the budget meeting while he was enjoying himself at his second honeymoon.


From: tony curry
Sent: Wednesday, November 21, 2012 9:59 AM
To: Becki Tompkins
Subject: Fwd: 2013 Budget


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: kurt buck 

Date: Sat, Nov 17, 2012 at 1:28 PM
Subject: 2013 Budget
To: Tony Curry

I desire to be heard on this matter, and wish for Councilman Curry to read this letter to the public on the night of the meeting, November 19, 2012. I have noticed via newspaper articles that this budget will be voted on Monday, November 19, 2012. I vehemently request that we ask the state for an extension on the 2013 budget deadline of November 20, 2012. I absolutely must be present for this vote. This vote should have been taken before my departure on my honeymoon. But due to inclement weather on November 7th 2012, it caused us to cancel the public hearing that night, I was going to make a motion to take a vote on the budget that night. I viewed the public hearing regarding the budget. I am deeply concerned with the current budget in its current form. I understand we are in trouble, but we need to devise a B-plan, with a no more than a 21% increase. We can not burden the tax payers at this juncture, we must find other ways to cut, and bite the bullet. I am against this current budget and I would have voted no on the night of the public hearing. I will be back from vacation on Tuesday the 20th. I will be present at a Wednesday meeting if we should have one. I would like the opportunity to have access to the comptroller to make an attempt to devise a different budget, a more tax payer friendly budget. As it stands now, the supervisor did not give us, the Town Board access to the comptroller to even try a different budget, he ordered the comptroller not to speak with any board members regarding the budget, this is uncontainable, we as a Town Board is a collective governing body and all members should have equal and unrestricted access to the comptroller. Again, I am voting no on this budget. again, we can ask for an extension from the state, I thank you, Councilman Kurt Buck

Please note, that Buck found the time to attend the County Executives 2013 budget meeting at Fishkill Village Hall, where he acted as a greeter.


Saturday, November 17, 2012

The Fishkill Lorax

Facebook page about opposition to Splashdown expansion.

https://www.facebook.com/FishkillLorax


This Tuesday, November 20 is the ZBA meeting, a public hearing. Please, please come and help us stop this mess from ruining our beautiful town.
 · Comment · Share
  • Fishkill Lorax Once Fishkill's natural beauty has gone, once Steve Turk has spoiled it, it is gone for good. Please don't let this happen, come to the meeting, if it is anything like the last one, there will be fireworks!
  • Fishkill Lorax I'm trying Virginia.
  • Sandra Fortin Does anyone realize how tall these rides would be - they will tower over everything and these garish rides will define the new skyline of Fishkill.
  • Sandra Fortin The first ride to be constructed on the forme Estelle and Alfonso site will also stand on a large hill making the ride loom even larger. And most likely it will be lit up and have a Splashdown Flag flying from it. What an insult to the beauty and dignity of Fishkill.
  • Fishkill Lorax Sandra Fortin in my notes it says 128 ft high, but I can't find that number in the site plan. Does that ring a bell for you?
  • Sandra Fortin I thought it was more like 57 or 60 ft. That I was told is a six story building as ten feet is one story - needs research. It is in the minutes or ZBA early in the year, but I think Mr. Turk withdrew that request and re-submitted after he acquired the E & A property. I'll look for it in my notes. I am waiting for the minutes of the Nov. 8 meeting to be posted. Did not see him on Cablevision - wonder why.
  • Fishkill Lorax I thought I missed it, but was not in the mood for him anyway.
  • Sandra Fortin No - he was not on. Last night Mr Knips was on - he didn't seem to side one way or the other -
  • Fishkill Lorax Yes I saw him. He was at the last meeting, too.
  • Sandra Fortin January 12, 2012 mentions a 60 foot high tower. He states it needs a 15 ft. variance, but if 35ft is the height for Fishkill his math is wrong . He actually needs a 25ft. variance. It's in the planning board minutes, but he may be talking about a different ride.The minutes are a bit unclear at times about what he is talking about.
  • Sandra Fortin Can we ask what he pays for taxes? Even though he has commercial land he really has no enclosed structures to speak of. I think that is a big part on how they evaluate your property if I am not mistaken. We will need more emergency services and police for all the crowds he intends to bring in. I wonder if we can find out how many police calls responded to there.
  • Ida Pearce the bigger problem sandy is people don't realize it... they need an impact statement breakdown... they won't see it till its too late that the noise, traffic, light, congestion on route 9, commercialization, crowds, out of town influx... people don't G...See More
  • Sandra Fortin I think we found out what he was up to too late. Tell everyone who cares to be at the meeting. There is power in numbers. I wish I had more time...

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

11/8/2012 Fishkill Budget Public Hearing Canceled Due to Weather

The meeting is now set for November 14th at 7 pm at town hall.

Tuttle elected Councilman in Fishkill


Written by Nina Schutzman Poughkeepsie Journal For more check out the papers website or subscribe to it as I do.

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20121107/NEWS01/311070054?nclick_check=1
Democrat Timothy Tuttle will take a seat on the Town of Fishkill Town Board next year after beating sitting Republican Councilman Thomas Knips.
FISHKILL — Timothy Tuttle will take a seat on the Town of Fishkill's Town Board, making him the only Democrat on the all Republican and Conservative board in years.
Tuttle beat Conservative opponent Thomas Knips, with the 18 districts reporting Tuttle's 3,959 votes to Knips' 3,660 votes.
The Democratic, Working Families and Independent Parties backed Tuttle, 33, an associate lawyer with Lynch Schwhab, PLLC.
This year, the seat pays $8,000 annually.
Knips, 55, was appointed to the seat in March; it had been vacant since the late Steve Ferguson retired last year. Knips, an IBM senior engineer and former planning board member, was backed by the Republican and Conservative parties.
"I'm the third generation of Tuttles to be elected to office," said Tuttle, who waited for the results with family members. "My dad is thrilled."
Both Tuttle and Knips wanted to concentrate on the deficit that Fishkill is facing, but Tuttle said that Fishkill’s Town Board needs more balance before any financial fairness can be restored.
“Half of the town’s views are unrepresented on the (all Republican) town board,” Tuttle said. “It’s undemocratic. Democrats and Republicans would have different views of finances, how we should handle things.”
Voter Joyce Mueller Banner agrees with him.
"I feel like (Town Supervisor) Bob LaColla brought his people in with him and we need more balance," she said.
Tuttle also said he wants more transparency.
“Before taxes are raised, there should be an independent forensic audit," he said. "The first issue I work on will be the budget problem."
Knips said there's already more transparency in the local government than ever before.
"I think people are very happy with the level of openness we have achieved so far," Knips said. "We have information on our website, our meetings are televised and I think residents are relishing that."
Tuttle said he expects to meet some opposition once on the board, but Knips said he'll be happy to give Tuttle advice in the future if he needs it.
"I gave him a call and congratulated him," Knips said. "I've had a fairly lengthy involvement with the planning board so any expertise I can offer I will."
Election workers like Lisa Tarricone at the Town Hall in the Town of Fishkill said that voter turnout was steady but they weren't sure if it was because of the local race or the presidential election.
"There's a lot of first-time voters, it's such a sensational election," said Tarricone. "There were 20 or 25 people lined up here before we even opened this morning."