Riverhead budget talks heat up early
Town Board members trade jabs over priorities
4 comments below
The same two Riverhead Town Board members who are pitching a plan for cuts in town personnel also support spending $200,000 to fix one of two multipurpose athletic fields at Stotzky Park, prompting Supervisor Sean Walter to call their stances "inconsistent."
Council members George Gabrielsen and Jodi Giglio last week proposed eliminating at least four full-time positions worth more than $300,000 in annual salaries and benefits. They said that with the cost of paying down a $7.3 million town deficit estimated to raise taxes by at least 15 percent, and possibly even 27.5 percent in 2011, it's time to start reducing the size of government.
They also insist more cuts should follow.
But at last Thursday's public work session in Town Hall, the two also said they'd vote for a plan to spend $200,000 to re-sod and install drainage at one of the two multipurpose fields at Stotzky Park, used for soccer, PAL football and lacrosse.
"We have $970,000 of bonded indebtedness for recreation that we have not sold yet," Supervisor Sean Walter said. "If we're going to be consistent ... you could take the $200,000 and put it toward the $970,000 we owe, so that we only have to bond $770,000."
The town spent $13 million over the past two years without selling bonds, paying instead through transfers and reserve funds, said town finance administrator Bill Rothaar.
"I think there's priorities here, and Stotzky Park is a priority," Mr. Gabrielsen said.
"If we're going to be doing the type of things that I read about in the News-Review today, then we have to look at everything," Mr. Walter said, referring to a March 4 article detailing the pair's proposed cuts.
Ms. Giglio, who said she and Mr. Gabrielsen were planning to introduce a resolution calling for steep cuts in town personnel at the March 16 board meeting, said improving recreational facilities and cutting the size of government are both things the public is asking for.
But she questioned the value of not repairing the field in order to reduce debt with that money.
"I'm curious what we'd be saving if we reduced our debt from $970,000 to $770,000," she said.
Mr. Walter said it would reduce the tax rate by about 1 percent.
The $200,000 for the field can be taken out of recreation funds, which are paid by developers during the subdivision process and can only be used for recreation projects, Mr. Gabrielsen said. He believes the town has about $200,000 left in recreation funds.
In December, the town received an estimate of about $400,000 to re-sod and install drainage at both multipurpose fields at Stotzky Park. But in light of the $7.3 million budget deficit, Mr. Walter has since warned the town about adding new debt.
Despite their bad condition, the fields are used frequently and, Mr. Gabrielsen said, the town needs to fix at least one of them by spring. Councilman Jim Wooten said he supports fixing the field, meaning the proposal will have enough votes to pass.
tgannon@timesreview.com
The Riverhead News-Review is pleased to offer readers the ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. The Riverhead News-Review does not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not The Riverhead News-Review. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Service and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website.
4 comments found
parks : 3/17/2010
What ever happened to the new fields at grumman and how much was spent on these projects so far. I see them fenced closed and partially completed for at least 2 years already. Is that another town hall blunder???????????
$200k : 3/16/2010
$200,000.oo. to fix one field. I want the job. I'll be there with my new shovel. Call me
631 876- 5309
parks : 3/12/2010
add a DOG PARK. Get rid of the underused skateboard park.
300,000 : 3/12/2010
they must have relatives who need jobs.
