NEW SCOTLAND — At its upcoming meeting, on Nov. 9, the New Scotland Town Board is due to adopt a $9.22 million budget for 2023, following a public hearing at 6:30 p.m.

 At $9.22 million, New Scotland’s current tentative budget for 2023 is up 6.5 percent over this year’s adopted spending plan.

To pay for next year’s budget increase without the corresponding tax bump, the town will tap its largest total fund-balance reserve — $5.3 million —  for the most money — $590,000 — since at least 2006, the town’s earliest available budget online. 

For 2023, the town is proposing a tax rate of $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value for all New Scotland property owners — including those who live in the village of Voorheesville — the same as this year. 

New Scotland’s 2023 proposed budget has a 5-percent cost-of-living pay increase for employees, which is typically one of the last things decided on by board members.

“This year, I’m starting at a 5-percent [increase],”  Supervisor Douglas LaGrange previously told The Enterprise. “But they’re projecting Social Security at an … 8.7 [percent increase]. So, you know, it’s tough. I mean, there’s more to it than just the straight-up Social Security and what we should do with COLAs. But that’s kind of how things have gone.”

The salaries for the town’s full-time elected officials are increasing in 2023, from about $67,500 to $70,800 for supervisor; about $62,500 to $65,700 for town clerk; and approximately $79,400 to $83,4000 for highway superintendent.

In part-time posts, the town’s two judges’ salaries would each increase from about $30,200 to $31,700, while each of the four town board members would earn about $11,000, a $500 increase over this year.