Warwick's 2007 town budget process underway

Warwick - Town officials are crafting a tentative 2007 budget, which is expected to be delivered to the town clerk by Sept. 30 and then put to a budget hearing on Oct. 26. In 2006, the total amount raised by town taxes was $6,260,682, with an additional $3,166,695 raised for special districts such as fire districts, ambulance service, water and sewer districts and recycling - all of which are only paid by those residents receiving the services. The 2006 tax rate for people living in the town outside of one Warwick’s three villages was $13.55 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. Those living within the villages of Florida, Greenwood Lake and Warwick paid a town tax rate of $4.63 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. Both the town and village tax rates included a PDR (Purchase Development Rights) charge of about 50 cents per $1,000. Supervisor Michael P. Sweeton described the budget process this way: “Our budget heads submit what is called a tentative budget which has their department budgets as well as requests for capital investment projects (equipment, major projects, etc.). Then I, in consultation with the town board, will re-work the budget into the preliminary budget which eventually gets adopted. “I have been fortunate over my years - and I believe it goes back further as well - to have department heads who present reasonable budgets. Unlike the stories you hear of other government entities, the town department heads do not try to spend every last nickel budgeted and most years return surplus amounts because they have been efficient in managing their departments or didn’t undertake a project. The town board has also done a great job in looking for ways to achieve more without tremendous increase.” In other town business: • The Town of Warwick Transportation System has announced new service on Mondays and Tuesdays to the Town of Wallkill, including stops at Crystal Run Health Care, Orange Plaza, Dunning Farms and the Galleria Mall. This service will allow our senior citizens to access additional services. This service is expected to start in mid-October. • A petition urging our state legislators to reform school property tax financing available for signature here in the lobby at Town Hall, 132 Kings Highway. These will be presented at the planned October School tax summit.