GUILDERLAND — Supervisor Kenneth Runion says the proposed $33 million budget for 2015 will not raise the town tax rate for residents — it will remain at 25 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation.

The budget will also remain under the state-set tax-levy cap by $224,000.

The $33,320,309 budget includes 2 percent raises for all town employees, and an approximately $180,000 project to replace part of the roof on the town hall.

It also allows for adding one new police officer, an information technology professional, and moving from two full-time and one part-time animal-control officers to three full-time animal control officers.

One portion of the roof on town hall was replaced roughly 12 years ago, said Runion, but the remaining portion is over 30 years old and leaks have developed where the two sections meet.

Adding a full-time police officer to the department will bring the force back up to 35 members.

Guilderland used to contract with a private company for IT services, but decided to hire an individual town employee for 2015.

The designation of the part-time animal control officer to full-time stemmed from a desire for more coverage, said Runion, as well as difficulty in filling a part-time position.

Retirement contributions will increase, overall, by about 20 percent — 25 percent for police — and health insurance premiums will increase by 11 percent.

“Next year,” said Runion, referring to 2016, “the retirement contributions are expected to decrease. “Although, we have heard that before and it hasn’t happened.”

He noted that the retirement and health insurance contributions are things that are “beyond the town’s control.”

The general town tax will not increase, but the highway and sewer bills will each increase slightly, Runion said.

The highway increase is due to the rising cost of materials, particularly blacktop, and because the Superintendent Steve Oliver wants to repave a significant number of roads in 2015.

The average sewer bill — for a home assessed at $200,000 — will increase by $17 as a result of expansions and improvements.

Sales-tax revenue from Albany County, which is the town’s main source of income, was, on average, $10.4 million before the economic recession hit in 2008.

During the recession, said Runion, the town was receiving approximately $9.7 million in sales tax revenue, but, it has now bounced back to $10.8 million, $400,000 more than it was before the recession.

The town also has a generous “rainy day” or contingency fund, which is currently at $14 million and growing, said Runion.

“We haven’t had to tap into it in a long time,” he said.

The proposed salaries, which include 2-percent raises, for all elected officials for the 2015 budget are:

• Supervisor, $110,340;
• Town board members, $23,030 each;
• Town clerk, $56,629;
• Receiver of taxes, $56,629;
• Town justices, $48,704 each; and
• Highway superintendent, $82,611.

A public hearing on the proposed budget will be held at Guilderland Town Hall on Nov. 6 at 7:30 p.m. The budget is available on the town’s website.