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RAMAPO: Updated budget gives elected officials raises up to $20K, higher tax hike

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“Town Board members gave themselves raises of $17,000 to $20,000 in a revised 2019 budget that also increases property taxes, funds a “litter control” unit and potentially close or lease one of the town’s public swimming pools to save money.

The annual raises and some other spending decisions were not part of town Supervisor Michael Specht’s original  $120.2 million budget unveiled in October and followed by a public hearing.

The town still faces an estimated $8.5 million deficit in the spending plan adopted last week, but has dedicated $3.5 million to slash it some. The independent audits from 2015 to 2017 have not been completed to determine a precise estimate of the town’s fiscal woes. [Read more…]

A Closer Look at Ramapo’s Budget for 2019

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Top seven officials grab outrageous raises including 49% increases for board members, while three public pools are closed and that giant sucking sound out in Pomona is getting louder as the ballpark will lose $1,875,000 in 2019.

Here’s a detailed assessment of the 2019 Ramapo Budget by William Weber:

“If you think that things could not get worse in Ramapo, they just did. The Ramapo Town Board adopted the 2019 budget on November 20th. The adopted budget is a massive insult to the hardworking taxpayers of Ramapo. To get “under” the tax cap, the Town, in my opinion, has overestimated some revenues and has also reduced its expense contingency, essentially a buffer, from $2,500,000 to $500,000. You would think that is bad enough, but that is only scratching the surface. [Read more…]

Ramapo releases proposed 2018 budget

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When Christopher St. Lawrence was Juggling the Books

Yesterday, the Ramapo Town Board released its proposed budget for 2018. To create a sound budgetary forecast, you need accurate numbers on the current fiscal state of Town’s finances. But the last set of complete numbers that now exist are the very same fraudulent figures that are sending the past Supervisor to federal prison and the finance and legal director to court facing SEC charges. A budget requires reliable information, not the felony-tainted figures that inspired the State Comptroller to classify Ramapo as “fiscally stressed.” A current, clean audit would help,  but the board and temporary supervisor say the current audit, and the one for the year before that, aren’t done yet. We know that because the interim supervisor has now said they won’t be ready until late November—that is, you’re not going to see the real picture until after the election is over. But you can come to the public meeting before those audits see daylight, and discuss the current budget. Anybody else smell something untoward here? [Read more…]