JEFFERSONVILLE –– The Callicoon Town Board is holding a public hearing on their proposed 2023 budget, totaling $2,321,053.40, on Monday, November 14 at 7:15 p.m., before their regular monthly meeting.

Furthermore, the proposed tax rate increase is .0102, but compared to last year’s tax rate, the change per $1,000,  would be -1.6482 percent.

Town of Callicoon Supervisor Tom Bose told the Democrat that with every budget they have formulated over the years, they’ve had to contend with increased costs. 

“This year those increases have just been greater than any other previous year,” he said.

Bose noted that the largest part of the Town’s budget is their Highway Department, primarily because it has the most employees and is tasked with the responsibility of maintaining and keeping the roads safe. 

“Fuel, parts, repair to trucks and equipment and the cost of salt used for ice control have all increased dramatically,” said Bose. “New equipment and trucks, if you can even get them, have increased so much we have considered increasing our replacement intervals even though that is not a sustainable solution.” 

Bose said the Town  has had success in purchasing several used trucks as well as some very slightly used “demonstrated” equipment at substantial savings. 

“Smart planning two years ago enabled our Town to pave an additional 10-12 miles of roads in addition to the normal 4-6 miles/year,” continued Bose. “Low interest rates and lower cost of blacktop (due to the low cost of fuel at the time), provided a huge savings while improving many more miles of roads than other years.”

Bose also mentioned challenges with health insurance premiums which have risen continually, noting that they have offset the increased costs to the Town by increasing the employees contribution rates via payroll deductions.

When asked what was the most difficult part of this year’s budget process, Bose said it was, by far, “trying to be fair to the Town’s hard working, dedicated employees.”

“With a year-over-year inflation rate of 8.5 percent causing everything you purchase to cost more –– many things are substantially more than a year ago (gas, heating fuels, utility costs, groceries, clothing, etc.) –– it was difficult for me to fairly compensate employees with a cost of living increase of 2-3 percent,” said Bose, “knowing full well that even though that is a small increase compared to the inflation rate, our hard working residents and taxpayers, many who are retired and on fixed incomes, are also struggling to pay their bills.”

When asked what he’d like town residents and business owners to know regarding the budget process, he said, “I will always make the best decisions, financial or other, based on the same principles I have always ascribed to in my own business. I will never take for granted the fact that those decisions that I am responsible for will have an impact on everyone who pays real property taxes in the Town of Callicoon.”

November 14’s public hearing will be held at Callicoon Town Hall at 19 Legion Street in Jeffersonville.