Hilltowns Archives —The Altamont Enterprise, August 28, 2008
Dissolving the town newsletter?
RENSSELAERVILLE — The consensus among board and audience members at this month’s town board meeting was that doing away with the town newsletter would be a good way to save taxpayers’ money.
The current town budget appropriated $12,000 for the newsletter, as it has in past years, although $21,183 was actually spent on the newsletter in 2006.
The newsletter has been a cause for contention since it was instituted two years ago, as there have been varying views on what should be included in the newsletter.
Councilman Marie Dermody said that canceling the newsletter would also eliminate the town’s need for a new, expensive copy machine that the board was planning on purchasing. This, she said, would save taxpayers even more.
“We’re putting together September’s newsletter,” said Kathleen Hallenbeck, town clerk. “A questionnaire will go out with September’s newsletter.” The questionnaire will ask town residents to consider whether changes should be made to the newsletter, or if it should simply be discontinued.
— Zach Simeone