To the Editor:

Rose Schneider did a great job in last week’s article covering the town of Westerlo board meeting.

There was some clarification I would like to point out. When Claire Marshall was talking about town members’ absenteeism, she was referring to the town assessor she works with, who sadly has been out for several surgeries and infections for months.

We automatically knew who she was referring to as she had already made the board well aware of his nonattendance at Town Hall and, after some investigation, he assured us he was working from home.

Regarding the fire company, I felt the $1,500 for telephones was excessive in that the 9-1-1 calls are paid for by our phone and cell-phone bills but President Kelley Keefe assured me that also includes some internet plus four “basic lines” to all the buildings, which now makes sense.  

However, the other concern was that the fire company receives at least $1,200 a month for the cell tower at Station 2 in South Westerlo, on which it is taxed on by the Greenville School District. The fire company’s budget submitted to the town does not show the income from the cell tower.

I am sure no one minds that the fire company puts that money aside toward new trucks or a new firehouse but I do believe, as a taxpayer, the company should deduct what that cell tower is taxed from its cell-tower income and not charge it to the taxpayers as expenses for fire protection.

I also want to point out again it is very difficult for me to approve the 2019 budget with what is provided on such short notice to the town board. For one, the “actual” we are given is only to August 2018 versus budgeted for 2018.

The budget proposal is presented to us in October, then we must pass it by the “legal” deadline in November without having all our ideas and concerns answered and there were many. I am not sure if this was done in prior years, but I for one feel it is not a good way to approve a town budget under the gun.

As I proposed over six months ago, I still strongly believe we need a budget advisory committee composed of town taxpayers with accounting experience, to work with the supervisor using his 48 years of understanding and know-how, on the next year’s budget long before October with approvals required by a November deadline.

Rich Filkins

Councilman

Westerlo