Hurley Town Board OKs 2024 Budget - by Maya Schubert/Kingston Wire
The Hurley Town Board adopted this week a $3.82 million budget for 2024, a 3.66 percent decrease from this year’s spending plan. The budget, approved in a 3-1 vote Monday evening, maintains the 2023 property tax levy and cuts spending in the combined general and highway funds by about 3.7 percent.
The adopted budget keeps 2023 salaries unchanged for the town supervisor ($28,000), town board members ($6,000 each), town clerk ($48,890) and highway superintendent ($54,675). The two town justices will get a 3 percent raise, bringing their salaries to $20,850.
Spending for the code enforcement office and planning board will be significantly reduced in 2024, closer reflecting the appropriations of 2022 and preceding years. Increased spending in 2023 was due to staffing issues in the code enforcement office and town planner and legal expenses for the planning board, Town Supervisor Melinda McKnight said.
The budget approved at the Oct. 30 meeting also included revisions to the highway fund requested at the board’s Oct. 24 public hearing on the plan. Initially decreased from 2023 at $1.7 million, the budget now increases appropriations to $1.96 million.
The board planned to vote on the budget at the Nov. 14 regular meeting and initially gathered Monday only to discuss the changes to the highway department’s funding. However, Councilmember Gregory Simpson made a motion to accept the budget after none of the board members proposed further changes. Councilmember Mike Boms expressed concerns about estimates including town planner and accountant expenses but requested no specific revisions.
“There’s no reason we can’t wait until the 14th [to vote],” Boms said, adding that he thinks town residents should have more time to read the budget.
The other board members reiterated that if no changes were going to be made now, the budget might as well be voted on.
“We will have to make changes, just like we made changes last year, just like we made changes the year before, just like changes were made the year before that,” Simpson said. “The question is whether or not the budget as exists now is way off. If it is way off, then tell us where we need to make the changes.”
He added that local laws could be adopted to accommodate significant changes to projections as the year unfolds.
“We can hold off voting, but if this isn’t going to change, it almost doesn’t make a difference,” McKnight said.
McKnight, Simpson and Councilmember Peter Humphries voted in favor of the budget. Boms voted no.
Town elections
On the ballot for Town of Hurley voters are the following races.
Town Supervisor — Democratic line: Melinda McKnight. Republican Line: Mike Boms. (Both candidates appear lower on the ballot on party lines designated Independent Body E and Independent Body F.)
Highway Superintendent — Democratic line: Michael C. Shultis. Republican line: Michael C. Shultis.
Town Clerk/Tax Collector — Democratic line: Annie Reed. Republican line: Tracy Kellogg.
Town Board (two open seats) — Democratic line: Peter Humphries and Gregory Simpson. Republican line: Diana Cline and William Mayhon III. (Cline, Humphries and Simpson appear lower on the ballot on party lines designated Independent Body E and Independent Body F.)
Town Justice (two open seats) — Democratic line: Roy Hochberg. Republican line: John E. Parker. (Hochberg appears lower on the ballot on a party line designated Independent Body E.)
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