Smithtown Town Supervisor Ed Wehrheim is proposing to raise the saleries of elected officials including a whopping 22% increase for himself and a 16.9% increase for Nicole Garguilo the Town’s Public Information Officer. There’s also a property tax hike in the budget for residents. (Newsday, Nicholas Spangler, Oct.7)
Smithtown officials have presented a $126.1 million tentative budget for 2023 that will maintain spending on parks and roads while boosting pay for Town Hall leaders.
The 198-page spending plan relies on a 2.08% property tax increase, or about $23.75 for a home assessed at $5,500. It would also increase the residential solid waste fee, covering recycling and pickup and disposal of garbage and yard waste, by $25 to $530, almost 5%. The increase reflects higher fuel and disposal costs, town officials said in a budget summary. Property taxes and waste fees are the largest sources of town revenue, accounting for 50% and 16%, respectively.
“We’ve delivered a budget this year that keeps all of the major funds structurally balanced, with no use of fund balance needed,” Supervisor Edward Wehrheim said in a budget message. “Our fund balance levels remain strong as does our outstanding fiscal rating.”
The plan would raise Wehrheim’s annual salary by 22%, from $118,827 to $145,000, and increase the pay of council members, who are officially designated as part-time, by 10.5%, from $77,496 to $85,596. Pay for a top aide, public information officer Nicole Garguilo, would increase by 16.9%, from $95,127 to $111,186. Department heads, who are members of a union, would get a contractually mandated 9.5% pay increase.
Town spending on salaries overall would rise 1.8%. Salaries account for 39% of town spending. Read full article at Newsday.
Patty Stoddard, Smithtown Democratic Town Leader, is urging the public to attend the budget hearing Thursday, October 20 at 7pm. “If you can’t attend email supervisor@smithtownny.gov or call 631-360-7600