The Money Pit

This past week were two back to back meetings which are ironically linked very closely - Budget Workshop and the Old Stone House Task Force Workshop.

This was our 2nd budget workshop of the year, so far, and already the situation is looking bleak. We have been given budget projections showing a massive deficit in revenue, mainly tied to pension and healthcare cost increases for employees, along with our massive debt service incurred over the past decade. However, we are determined to scrutinize the budget rigorously to explore creative ways of delivering services for reduced costs. For way too long, the Board has been reluctant to look at things differently and it is clear that we have no choice or face a massive tax increase. We are still very early in the process, but I am confident that significant savings can still be found.

The next night, the Board of Trustees met to review the report of the Old Stone House Task Force, which I participated in along with Stacey Jennings, John Purkert, Gail Kent, Allison Brown, Maria Morrison-Henningburg, Janine Bauer, Jim Ankner and Suzanne L'Hernault. The Task Force worked hard over 4 months in late 2007 and although it was often contentious, it was quite a learning experience. I came into the process thinking there was no hope for the Old Stone House and that demolition was the only option because the town cannot (and should not) afford to spend significant dollars on this project when our taxes are already out of control. However, I did come to gain an appreciation for the history of the house and the passion of its proponents.

I still do not think the Village can afford to spend any money on this project, but I think a viable alternative to demolition has been identified - conveyance. By getting the Old Stone House out of the hands of the Village, it opens up a world of possibility for private or public enterprises that have the means to invest money into the house. (The Village has also proven itself incapable of managing historic preservation as evidenced by the 6-year+ saga of the firehouse)

The Task Force report did identify other options, but I think that conveyance holds the most promise for saving the house (or some portion of it), while relieving the taxpaying citizens of this town the burden of paying for it.

We need to establish priorities for our limited tax dollars to ensure we remain as a place people want to live and to ensure we stop driving people out of town who cannot afford to pay our high taxes. We must stop the endless money pit.