Resident Jim Temple suggested the town reduce services, including highway services. The suggestion, said Supervisor Jesse DeGroodt, is worthy of review. However, he said, “to make a major decision on how we operate our highway—that's not something you can just sit down and do in a week and a half or two weeks." DeGroodt said a thorough review of the highway budget—what services are provided and what residences want—is something the town highway committee can meet to discuss with Highway Superintendent Joe Rickert over the coming year.

"It comes down to this: People have come to expect the road to be clear at all times. Are we going to go backwards and only plow after the snow stops? It will be good to have that conversation in public because we can hear what the public wants," the supervisor said.

DeGroodt noted that the highway department has taken cost cutting measures on its own, reducing its part-time workforce even before the budget process began in earnest. Additional cuts were made with the removal of a proposed truck purchase.

Speaking of the budget in general, Town Councilwoman Beth Anne Ripple said, "We are in a difficult situation. Cutting services is one of things we want to avoid. We want to keep forward momentum without too much of a hit on our wallets."

Town Comptroller Earl Kelsey—one of the five residents present at the hearing—noted that town revenues are not increasing and when costs rise, they directly impact residents.

“For every one percent increase in costs resulting from inflation . . . we have to have a two percent increase in taxes," he said.

Councilwoman Jean Rohde noted that unlike the state, the town is not in a position of having duplicative personnel. "When the state needs to save money, they look at how many people they can cut. We don't have bodies in town that are extra," she said.

DeGroodt said he doesn't expect any further action to be taken on the budget prior to November 20 when the budget is expected to be approved.

BUDGET AT A GLANCE

Tentative town budget: $3,176,209, up 15.9 percent

Tentative tax levy: $1,624,752, up 24 percent

TAX RATES (tentative)

Town residents living outside the Village:  $2.81 per $1,000 assessed property value, up 29 percent

Town residents living inside the Village:  $1.65 per $1,000, up 14.5 percent