VALATIE–The Kinderhook Town Board passed a $2.7-million general fund budget for 2020 at a November 6 board meeting. Other expenses in the budget, including the two library districts, fire districts and funds for the Valatie Rescue Squad bringing the budget up to about $3.7 million.
Supervisor Pat Grattan said at the meeting that “overall, the taxes would be flat” in the year ahead.
At this year’s budget meeting, Mr. Grattan said expenses were up in some places, including for assessment work. The town will be going through an assessment update in 2020. The town contracts with the county for general assessment work, which will now cost $10 a parcel, up from $7 in the current year.
There is about $2,000 in the 2020 town budget for trail maintenance along the Albany-Hudson Electric Trail (AHET), a state funded trail currently under construction in the town along mostly the National Grid right-of-way. The trail runs from the City of Rensselaer to Greenport. The state is paying for construction and some major maintenance issues but is asking local municipalities to budget for general maintenance, like mowing. Both the Town of Kinderhook and the Village of Kinderhook have budgeted money to support the maintenance. The Village of Valatie contracts with the town Highway Department for maintenance but is also supporting the trail.
This is Mr. Grattan’s last town budget as Town Supervisor. He did not run for reelection after 10 years in the post. Mr. Grattan has presented the budget to his board for approval every year.
Deputy Supervisor Patsy Leader, who ran on the Republican, Conservative and Independence ballot lines, won the supervisor’s seat in the just-concluded election. She will have to resign her seat as council member in January to take over the post and the board will have to decide whether to appoint a new member to fill her seat.
The board voted at the November 6 meeting to pass the 2020 budget presented. Only Mr. Grattan and Town Board members Sally Hogan and Phil Bickerton were at the meeting.
The next regular board meeting will be 7 p.m. Monday, December 16 at the Martin H. Glynn Municipal Building. The board normally meets the first Monday of the month but moved the regular meeting dates for November and December. The regular board meeting this month was held on November 18.
To contact reporter Emilia Teasdale email eteasdale@columbiapaper.com
