Shelter Island Fire District set to adopt budget

Shelter Island Fire District commissioners are expected on Monday night to adopt a budget for 2013 of $831,286, $719,976 of which would be raised through property taxes. That’s up from the current amount raised from taxes by $18,080, raising the tax levy by 2.33 percent. But that figure doesn’t pierce the state’s 2-percent cap because the fire district’s 2012 budget came in below the cap and, by law, the district was allowed to carry over some of the increase not used in the current budget, according to treasurer Amber Williams.

Only the commissioners and two department members were at Tuesday night’s public hearing on the budget that would see a tax increase of $9.14 next year on a home valued at the town median of $640,000. That would raise taxes from $167.17 this year to $176.31 in 2013. A property owner with a house valued at $1 million would see a $14.28 increase in taxes next year, from $261.20 this year to $275.48 in 2013.

The Village of Dering Harbor will pay the Fire District $32,210 for fire fighting services. Another $1,000 of revenues will come from miscellaneous sources such as interest on district accounts.

Ms. Williams broke down the proposed budget showing that $309,900 is in non-discretionary spending — items the commissioners believe are needed but they aren’t mandated to do in 2013. Those include buying a new chief’s car that would go to Second Assistant Chief Greg Sulahian, who is driving a vehicle that would need very expensive front-end work and even then might not be usable for long. It also includes new radios, hoses, boots, fittings, water tanks and some relatively small capital improvements.

Non-discretionary items include debt repayments, insurance, utilities, wages for the district’s secretary, treasurer and custodian; and Length of Service Award Program costs.

Not contained in the 2013 budget, but something that could eventually come into play, is money to hire a part-time department administrator. Chief John D’Amato told the commissioners in August that, while he is retired and able to give the job the 30 to 40 hours required each week, the job might be a real burden for future younger chiefs who are still working and have family responsibilities. He suggested that such an administrator might be hired on a shared basis between the Fire Department and the Ambulance Corps.