Malta Supervisor Vince DeLucia released his initial 2018 budget proposal at last week’s Town Board meeting, outlining a balanced budget that is marked by a fully-funded first responders budget, targeted investments in the highway department, and robust resources for parks and recreation, as well as senior programs. Just as important as the support for these services, the budget proposal supports these priorities while avoiding a general town tax for the 34th consecutive year and avoiding a highway tax for the 17th consecutive year.
Based on no town or highway tax, a home assessed at $250,000 would see a tax levy of a mere $243 (a decrease of $10 from 2017). Most of that levy at the local level is driven by resident-approved taxes to provide library services and fire district support.
Since taking office in 2016, the new town government has focused on a shift in philosophy in regards to development, building a strategy that will increase private investment in the town and enable the town to remain tax-free. This strategy has been focused on attracting commercial investment to broaden the Town’s assessed tax base and grow the Town’s share of county sales tax revenue.
The steps taken thus far include a variety of legislative and strategic actions, such as:
In February of 2016, the board changed zoning on Route 9 South/Route 67 East to commercial from residential, based on longtime input from the community; in August of 2016 the town established an economic development committee to build a strategic plan focused on attracting commercial investment. That committee plans to issue its initial report by years’ end; following extensive input from the residents in the neighborhood, the town board voted in October 2016 to rezone Route 67 West from residential to commercial; to evaluate the remaining commercial corridor on Route 9 North, the town appointed a Route 9 North Comprehensive Plan Review Committee, and is considering those recommendations from that committee received in 2017; and following input from the Economic Development Committee, the town’s engineers, staff and local economic developers, the town eliminates State Environmental Quality Review Act (“SEQRA”) recreation mitigation fees on commercial developments.
These steps have led to the town’s assessed tax roll to grow by more than $160 million and revenue of more than $5.1 million from the town’s share of Saratoga County sales tax. This represents an increase in the town’s revenue from sales tax of more than $500,000 since 2016. In addition to the increased revenue, the budget has taken a conservative approach, reducing spending by more than $120,000, despite salary and pension cost increasing and rapidly growing health care premiums.
Funding priorities in the 2018 budget include:
First Responders – Recognizing the vital role played by the private, non-profit organizations that provide fire and ambulance service to our residents, the budget proposes nearly $2.6 Million in funds for these vital services, an increase of more than $80,000 from 2017.
Highway Department – Servicing more than 75 lane miles of roadway in the town requires a robust mix of professional staff, equipment and strategic transportation infrastructure improvements. The proposed budget provides nearly $2.5 million in resources to clear snow, maintain roads, ensure highway safety and build roadway improvements, while also dedicating $215,000 to highway reserves for equipment needs.
Parks and Recreation – The Town of Malta has more than 560 acres of developed parks, trails, and protected open space, as well as one of the most popular and well-regarded recreation programs in the region. The proposed budget dedicates $195,000 of funds to maintain, and protect this parkland, as part of a $764,000 commitment to these amenities. In addition, based on residential use, the budget proposed more than $20,000 in funds to support the programs of the Ballston Area Recreation Commission to supplement funds allocated to provide services not offered directly by the town’s department.
Library – In 2017 Malta residents approved an increase in the levy for the operations of the library district, resulting in dedicated funding of nearly $340,000 for the library district operations in 2018.
Seniors – As Malta’s senior citizen population grows, the town recognizes the need to dedicate funds to provide support for their needs, outlining nearly $32,000 in funds dedicated to senior programs and support. The proposed budget includes $6,000 for Care Links, $5,600 for the Office for the Aging’s transportation and nutrition program, $12,000 in discounts for Community Center programs for senior citizens. The budget also calls for $8,000 in funds to support Malta Senior Citizens, Inc. a private non-profit organization, as the organization continues to grow their membership and expand the important work they undertake.
The Town Board has begun their review of the proposed budget and will hold a series of public budget workshops over the next several weeks, including the following schedule:
Monday, Oct. 16, at 6 p.m. Fire Companies/Not-For-Profit (Regular Town Board Meeting); Wednesday, Oct. 18 at 7 a.m., Parks and Recreation; 8 a.m., Building and Planning; 8:30 a.m., Animal Control; Wednesday, Oct. 25 at 7 a.m.,Tax Receiver; 7:30 a.m., Town Clerk; and 8 a.m., Town Board discussion.
Timothy Dunn
Malta Town Councilman
