ALTAMONT — The village board adopted a $1.12 million budget Tuesday for its general fund, an increase over last year’s $1.08 million budget. However, taxes will not rise, thanks to both changes in health-care premiums and employee turnover.

“This budget does not increase village taxes,” Mayor James Gaughan told the board at the public hearing for the budget this week.

“Good!” said Trustee William Aylward.

“It certainly meets the [state-set] tax cap,” Gaughan said. “The tax rate should be the same as last year.”

The tax rate for village residents will remain at $2.79 per $1,000 of assessed property value.

The 2014-15 budget includes a 3-percent salary increase for village employees. Zoning board of appeals and planning board members will receive stipends for the first time, under the new budget.

Each chairperson will receive $40 per meeting, and committee members will receive $20 per meeting, Gaughan said.

“It was important to acknowledge the volunteer work of our members,” Gaughan said, calling the stipends “token” payments.

Altamont Treasurer Catherine Hasbrouck told The Enterprise that the zoning board meets three times per year, and the planning board meets about 10 times per year.

The stipends will affect the zoning board budget with an increase of roughly $500. The planning board budget saw an increase of $1,300.

Gaughan attributed flexibility in the budget to staff changes.

“We lost older staff at a higher rate, and hired younger staff at a lower rate,” he said.

Part of the staff changes included Jeffrey Moller replacing Timothy McIntyre as the superintendent of public works last April. The board also promoted Larry Adams from chief water operator to assistant superintendent last year.

Gaughan said that health-insurance premiums went down this year; the board voted at its regular meeting to continue to use CDPHP health insurance.

The sewer fund increased by $9,500 to $570,067. The water fund decreased by $2,000 to $450,994.

No members of the public spoke during the public hearing, and the board swiftly adopted the budget after the hearing closed.

Other business

In other business, the village board:

— Approved two applications for junior firefighters, between the ages of 15 and 18 years old, and one adult firefighter;

— Approved a request by the Altamont Elementary PTA to hold its annual garage sale May 3 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and

— Agreed to allow the Altamont Fire Department to participate in the garage sale, and to attend the Boyd Hilton Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7062 Loyalty Day on the same day.