Union Vale board debates 2025 budget amid revenue and salary concerns

The Union Vale Town Board spent much of its Nov. 6 meeting debating the proposed 2025 budget, with members flagging large projected revenue increases and a significant jump in personnel costs.

Supervisor Freer presented the updated budget, saying recent, actual insurance premium quotes reduced the previously budgeted amount and freed about $34,000 that could be allocated to priorities or used to offset other lines. Councilman Welsh and other board members pressed caution, saying several revenue lines are currently budgeted at very high year‑over‑year increases.

“A big chunk of our expenditures going up are salaries,” a board member said during the debate, noting expenditures were up roughly $158,500 (about a 5.78% increase) and that $113,000 of that rise is driven by wages. Members cited specific revenue items that the draft budget projects to climb substantially next year: interest income (from $80,000 to $154,000 in the draft), building fees (from about $109,000 to $220,000), sales tax and other permit and fee lines. Several members warned those gains could reverse if market conditions change.

Board members also discussed staff pay and recruitment. One member said that some employees have been performing work outside their official titles and that pay adjustments were needed to retain qualified staff; others cautioned that recurring, large percentage raises in a single year (examples cited in the record included prior double‑digit adjustments for some roles) could be fiscally risky.

The board debated how to treat the newly identified $34,000 in savings: the supervisor suggested it might be applied against sales‑tax revenue concerns or toward a code enforcement position that some members have proposed funding. No final reallocation beyond general discussion was adopted at the meeting.

In procedural action tied to transparency, a board member moved — and the board adopted on a roll‑call — a measure requiring the town bookkeeper to provide the draft budget in Excel format so members can run their own scenario analyses. The roll call showed Councilman Camy, Councilman Welsh and Councilman Derland voting "yes" and Supervisor Freer voting "no."

Next steps: board members said they must adopt the budget by the statutory deadline (before Nov. 20); if no action is taken by that date, the preliminary budget becomes final. The board expects to continue budget deliberations at its Nov. 20 meeting.

(Provenance: topicintro SEG 099; topfinish SEG 333)