By ELIZABETH COOPER
Observer-Dispatch
Posted Apr 17, 2009 @
07:29 PM
NEW
The town
got about $550,000 less in sales tax revenue than it had budgeted for in 2008.
The loss knocks a hole in the town's $15 million spending plan for that year.
Town officials said they will know more about the true impact of the sales tax
shortfall after the town finishes crunching its 2008 budget numbers next week.
The town budgeted for a total of $5.5 million in sales tax revenue in 2008, but
got just over $4.9 million, according to numbers provided by town bookkeeper
Carol Fairbrother.
If necessary, the town may dip into its savings account to make up the
difference, town Supervisor Earle Reed said, adding that he didn't like to do
that.
“I am concerned that we have tapped into it for a couple of years,” he said of
the savings account.
Meanwhile, he said the town may consider revising its 2009 projections for
sales tax revenue.
“After we get through June and we've got six months under our belt, we'll have
a better idea of where we stand,” he said.
He pointed to recent Oneida County-wide sales tax figures for the first quarter
of 2009 that show a slight uptick over the same quarter in 2008.
New Hartford's figures for the first quarter of 2009 were not yet available.
Town Councilman Robert Payne III said he would be reviewing the situation with
other town council members, and would also keep a close watch on the 2009
numbers.
“This town has to be very strong and diligent with our finances for 2009,” he
said.
Deputy Supervisor David Reynolds said the town was looking at ways of cutting
spending in the difficult economic times.
“We are looking at our utility costs and our fuel costs,” he said. “There' a
myriad of things we are looking at to control costs.”
Councilwoman Christine Krupa said she needed to learn more about the numbers
before commenting. Councilman Rich Woodland could not be reached.
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