Wallkill Valley Times Nov. 15 2017

T IMES WALLKILL VALLEY Vol. 35, No 46 3 WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2017 “We’re still over the cap,” said Town Supervisor Mike Hayes. The Montgomery Town Board voted on Thursday to adopt a local law to override the tax cap and subsequently voted to override the tax cap and adopted their proposed budget. Hayes explained that despite some minor changes to the budget since their previous meeting, it still called for the previously reported decrease in town tax rates for most residents, due in large part to a significant increase in the assessed value of the town (about $30 million). For a home with an assessed value of $200,000 located within one of the three villages (Maybrook, Montgomery and Walden) the town tax will be decreased $6.07. For the same home outside the three villages, the decrease will be $0.28. In other business, the board approved the surplus of a police vehicle, a 2008 Crown Victoria and postponed the road dedication for Powers Lane to their next ONE DOLLAR Red Ribbon Week Cheerfest Page 38 Page 20 www .W allkill V alley T imes . net Montgomery overrides tax cap By RACHEL COLEMAN 3 meeting. Annexation Approximately 34 acres are set to shift from the town to the village of Maybrook, if a recently filed petition for annexation is approved. The Galaxy property—located partially in the town and in the village of Maybrook—is situated between the existing railroad and Stewart State Forest, Continued on page 5 T able for O ne The American Legion Rose Sheeley Post 1034 of Wallkill observed Veteran’s Day last week with a luncheon that featured an empty table, to memorialize those who never made it home from battle. Story on page 2. Gardiner raises don’t sit well with all council members By JASPREET GILL [email protected] Town of Gardiner Supervisor Marybeth Majestic presented the preliminary 2018 budget during last week’s town hall meeting. “The cap was 2.84 percent and our increase was 2.76 ercent for the cap,” she says. “Overall increase of 5.85 percent. The overall increase includes the dependent districts: [Gardiner] Library, Gardiner Fire [Department] and Shawangunk Fire [Department].” Town board member salaries are being increased from $21,059 (2017) to $21,690.77 (2018), which became a central issue during the meeting. Combined with town board member conference amounts, which were $300 in 2017 and will be $400 in 2018, the total town board budget is $22,090.77, an increase from the 2017 $21,359. “I want to bring up my concern that we’re increasing town board salaries,” said board member David Dukler. “It was [previously] said that if we want people to get more involved in government we have to pay them more. If you really think about it, on one level it sounds like it makes sense but on another level I don’t know if there is data that shows that’s true….Especially in the kind of position Continued on page 4 SERVING CRAWFORD, GARDINER, MAYBROOK, MONTGOMERY, PINE BUSH, SHAWANGUNK, WALDEN AND WALLKILL