Grand Island adopts preliminary budget

Total appropriations up 3.8% from 2024

Article and Photo by Karen Carr Keefe

Senior Contributing Writer

The Town Board adopted a preliminary 2025 budget at its Monday meeting, following a public hearing in which no members of the public spoke.

Council members voted 3 to 1 in favor of the spending plan. Council member Dan Kilmer was the lone “no” vote. The 2024 final budget was adopted on Nov. 9, 2023.

The 2025 preliminary general fund budget shows a total appropriation of $11,449,486. The amount in that fund to be raised by tax levy is $2,235,135, a 0.91% decrease over 2024. There are three decreases in the funded categories, four increases and one that remains the same. That one is the debt service budget of $310,938, which relies on transfers from other funds, not taxes.

The additional budgets are: fire protection, highway, sewer district (for residents in a sewer district), water district, lighting district, refuse and garbage and debt service.

When you add up the figures from all eight fund categories, the total preliminary 2025 budget is $30.2 million. Last year’s final budget totaled $29.1 million. There was no change between the preliminary budget and final budget in 2024. The overall budget increase in 2025 is $1.1 million over 2024, which amounts to an increase of about 3.8% over the previous year’s budget.

The total tax burden in the 2025 preliminary budget is $12,406,454, an increase of $956,968 over the final 2024 tax burden of $11,955,450. The 2024 tax levy was reduced by a fund balance of $5,537,564 that was carried over from the previous year.

The water fund appropriation of $4,493,006 calls for the biggest jump in tax rate – a 14.96% increase per $1,000 of land value over that of 2024.

Here are the proposed salaries for top town officers in the 2025 budget.

•Supervisor, $ 85,691.52

•Council member, (4) $ 22,035.81

•Town clerk, $ 83,451.54

•Highway superintendent, $104,814.33

•Town Justice (2), $ 52,260.70.

Kilmer said he voted against the preliminary budget because he wasn’t satisfied with the budget process. “It’s just a personal choice,” he said of his “no” vote.

Supervisor Peter Marston said the budget process is a thorough one.

•It starts in June when the town’s accountant, Korin Frantz, starts to collect tax cap numbers, payroll increases, utility and insurance spending and employee benefits.

•Beginning in July, the supervisor meets with department heads for capital planning.

•Also in July, budget packets are created for department heads to review and change.

•The process in August and September also includes the accountant creating a departments’ budget. Marston reviews questions with department heads and informs the accountant of changes needed. The accountant then creates a supervisor’s budget. Town Board members get a budget binder to review.

•In October, two budget workshops were held. The Town Board can amend and make changes at that time. Council members can contact department heads and bring them to the next meeting. If motions are made and approved, it becomes the preliminary budget.

The final budget must be submitted to Erie County By Nov. 20.