Shelter Island board adopts 2013 budget; taxes rise

Shelter Island’s town board has adopted a $9.86 million town budget for 2013, with $6,938,208 to be raised from local taxes, a tax levy increase of nearly $203,000 above the current budget. The levy increase of about 3 percent complies with the state tax levy cap because of credits earned by the town last year.

The town board held a special meeting last week to formally approve its budget, which uses nearly $500,000 from the town reserve fund to help cover spending. The board voted, 5-0, to adopt it.

At the regular town board meeting last Friday, Supervisor Jim Dougherty said he expected to be able to save about $300,000 from his proposed budget. At that time, he had planned to use nearly $800,000 from the town reserve fund to balance the budget.

Town councilman Paul Shepherd said some budget increases, such as a $145,000 increase in police costs, were mandated by contracts and could not be changed.