Brightwaters trustees approve $2.3M budget

The Brightwaters board of trustees has unanimously passed a $2.3 million budget for 2012-13 -- but not before bumping a projected $225,000 surplus down to $141,000.

Mayor Joseph McNulty said the budget doesn't raise taxes and that the village hasn't had to borrow money or bond.

About 40 residents came to the public hearing Monday night to offer ideas to cut costs or raise revenue. Some said the budget was not realistic.

Carmine Chiappetta, 50, pointed out the village didn't budget for its ambulance service. "I find it hard to believe they're going to be on point with all of their line items, and I find it hard to believe that this budget will meet its projections," he said.

McNulty said he is negotiating with the ambulance company.

"I can't put the money in the budget and then sit down and talk to them," McNulty said.

But before voting to approve the budget, the board restored $30,000 for the ambulance service, reversed a $14,000 cut from the village attorney's litigation budget and restored $40,000 that had been cut from the garbage collection budget.

"We obviously might have some mistakes in this," said trustee and chief financial officer Jack Riordan.

Chiappetta also voiced concern about such cuts as $27,000 from the village clerk's office and $55,000 from the code officers, which the village was reticent to describe as possible layoffs.

As of now, there is "no plan to lay people off," McNulty said.

But Riordan said Tuesday that layoffs aren't out of the question. "The budget would suggest that there are changes coming," Riordan said. "We're just trying to right-size the expenses of the village in these trying times."

To boost revenue, resident Patrick Fawcett, 45, recommended village employees pay at least 10 percent of their health insurance costs, which Riordan said the village is considering. Currently, he said, about a dozen employees get free coverage.