Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget Overview topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
North East keeps property tax rate steady, weighs Town Hall and park engineering in FY2017 budget workshop
Summary
At an April 13 budget workshop, Town of North East officials kept the real property tax rate at $0.4800 per $100, noted flat revenues, and discussed adding engineering costs for a Town Hall second floor and a park revetment while trimming some nonprofit allocations.
At a budget workshop on April 13, 2016, Town of North East Mayor Robert F. McKnight and the commissioners said the real property tax rate will remain at $0.4800 per $100 of assessed value as they reviewed a draft FY2017 budget that includes several capital and grant decisions.
"The Town is fiscally sound, has a good revenue reserve but hard decisions need to be made," Mayor Robert F. McKnight said as he opened the meeting. The draft budget also includes $11,037 in retirement expenses related to a planned December retirement of a long‑term employee.
Director of Finance and Administration Kendrick Natale told the board the Constant Yield Tax Rate required by statute is $0.4717 and that the town will advertise the required notice in the Cecil Whig on May 4, 2016. The Public Utility and Railroad Operating Property Tax Rate will remain at $1.20 per $100 of assessed value, the budget shows.
On smaller allocations and community grants, Mayor McKnight reduced the proposed allotment to Salute to the Cecil County Veterans, Inc. from a requested $5,000 to $2,000 (the town had previously funded $1,500). The Cecil County Neighborhood Youth Panel’s request of $4,667 was left intact. Commissioner Eric B. Braley requested the Boys & Girls Clubs of Cecil County allocation be cut from a $20,000 request to no more than $5,000, and "the rest of the board agreed," the minutes state. The North East Fire Company, Inc. requested $7,500 (flat from FY2016); the request was recorded but no formal vote on that allocation appears in the workshop minutes.
Board members discussed several capital requests and whether items could be purchased in FY2016 from surplus to reduce the FY2017 projected deficit; Town Administrator Melissa B. Cook-MacKenzie said she would meet with department heads to identify purchases that could be advanced.
Cook‑MacKenzie directed the Director of Finance to reallocate the Town Administrator and Maintenance Department salaries between the water fund and the general fund to better account for staff time, a change that will shift the deficit allocation between funds.
Mayor McKnight requested adding $50,000 in engineering expenses to the budget for the design and engineering of adding a second floor to Town Hall. Cook‑MacKenzie requested $35,000 in engineering expenses to design a revetment on the north side of North East Community Park and asked that a proposed south‑side revetment be removed from the FY2017 request because existing permits remain valid until 2018 and she intends to pursue state grants or a no‑interest shoreline erosion loan.
Proposed pay increases of 3% for staff were included in the draft budget.
The town will run the required Constant Yield notice in the Cecil Whig on May 4; a public budget hearing is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on May 25, 2016, and the board scheduled a vote on the FY2017 budget for June 8, 2016. The workshop adjourned at 6:45 p.m. after a motion by Commissioner Eric B. Braley, seconded by Commissioner Hilary A. Crothers-Moore.
