Displaying items by tag: Romano, Shaw, Raymond, Ballston Spa, Mancini, Ron Henry

BALLSTON SPA — On Monday, the Village Board approved the date of a public hearing at which local residents are welcome to discuss the $4.1 million budget plan for the next fiscal year. It was the last formal vote made by two departing village trustees.

Ballston Spa Mayor John Romano and the four trustees voted unanimously to approve the date of Monday, April 10. The public hearing will take place at 7 p.m. inside Village Hall, whose address is 66 Front Street.

Mayor Romano praised the efforts of outgoing Trustee Courtney Mancini, who recently decided against pursuing another four-year term on the board; and Trustee Ron Henry, who was previously appointed by Romano but lost a bid for re-election on March 21.

“You’ve contributed immensely to the success of the village,” Romano told Mancini and Henry. “I will miss working with each of you. I urge you to, please, stay involved.”

A large crowd of onlookers in the room applauded the mayor’s comments. Among them were Shawn Raymond and Noah Shaw, the two Democrats who won seats on the all-Republican Village Board.

After an organizational meeting scheduled for the week of April 3, Romano said, Raymond and Shaw will formally join the board at the April 10 meeting.

According to the tentative spending plan presented on March 27 by Romano and village staff, Ballston Spa has more than $16 million in taxable property that will be charged at a rate of $81.40 per $1,000 of assessed value. The amount derived from property taxes is projected to exceed $1.3 million.

The total cost of government operations in Ballston Spa, home to about 5,500 people, will surpass $3.7 million through early 2018, according to the tentative budget.

Operation of the village’s sewer system—Romano said it connects to Saratoga County pipes that end up at a treatment plant near Mechanicville—and the public library will cost an additional $250,000.

The six largest expenditures out of Ballston Spa’s general fund will be for employee benefits, at $960,000; public safety, $940,335; village offices and support, $546,552; street maintenance and clearing, $538,912; home and community services, $449,250; and for culture and recreation, $147,366.

More than $2.4 million of revenue will be raised through sales taxes in village businesses; fire protection funds provided by the towns of Ballston and Milton; water distribution charges; fees levied on individuals by the Village Court; and a host of other sources.