BERNE — Silence followed Supervisor Kevin Crosier’s motion to apply for a half-million dollar highway grant last Wednesday; none of the town board members seconded his motion. A half-dozen residents broke the quiet with cheers.

They were what remained of a 20-some group who showed up at the town board meeting to voice their opposition to the proposed merger of the town’s highway department and Albany County’s department of public works.
"I’m very surprised," said Crosier when asked about the board’s lack of support. "That would have been over half a million dollars."

The town would have applied for the grant, totaling $597,500, with the county of Albany. The two municipalities would have split the money, which would have provided funds for new trucks and building repairs.
"Sitting on this table tonight is a 28-percent tax hike," said Crosier, referring to the 2007 town budget draft, as he introduced his proposal for the grant. "I cannot support that tax hike. That’s why I looked at the merger."

Although applying for the grant wouldn’t have committed the town to the merger, were it awarded the grant, it could only use the funds if it did decide to merge with the county.
"What’s the worst-case scenario" You get it and you turn it down," said Crosier.
Berne’s highway superintendent, Ray Storm, also said this week that he was surprised that the motion didn’t even get to a vote. "Three months from now, they might change their minds," he said of the town board members, citing the projected 28-percent tax hike.
The highway budget is set to go up $246,888, a 29-percent increase over last year’s figure, which is largely due to the rising cost of petroleum-based products needed for road repair and maintenance and also because of road-work projects that have been needed for some time, Storm said. "The longer you wait, the more it costs," he said of the repairs.
All of the seven highway workers are opposed to the merger. Storm thinks that’s because people are afraid of change. Most of the residents who spoke against the merger at the beginning of the meeting on Wednesday echoed resident Dave Smith’s sentiment: "If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it."
Although one man, Ralph Miller, the town’s historian, didn't support the merger, he suggested that further study and more definite numbers would in form the board and residents. "I think we should give each of our representatives the benefit of the
doubt that they are doing what they think is best," he said.
After Crosier’s motion failed to garner a second and the board accepted the preliminary budget that includes a 28-percent tax increase, burdened with the cost of road work, board member Joseph Golden responded to groans from the crowd by saying, "These are forks in the road, folks."