In order to offset shortfalls in revenues, Frankfort Town Board members are being forced to look at discretionary budget items in a more frugal light, according to Supervisor Joseph Kinney.
The board recently approved a revised summer entertainment schedule eliminating one of four concerts and making changes to a senior buffet. This cuts a total of nearly $9,000 from last year’s entertainment budget.
“With the economy going sour and taking a downturn, we’ve experienced some constraints on budgeting,” Kinney said in a phone interview.
“We down-sized one concert and we’re taking a more modest approach to the senior buffet,” he explained, “but we still feel the buffet will be a quality event.”
While unable to provide exact figures, Kinney said decreasing sales tax revenues played a major role in requiring a scaling down of the town-sponsored free summer entertainment held at St. Francis Society property, on 8th Ave.
April 2009 county sales tax distribution provides a gauge as to what municipalities are facing.
The first quarter distribution of $4,204,860 dropped more than $100,000 from last year, when it came in at $4,329,360.
Commenting on the decrease, Kim Enea, county treasurer, said the decline is within a normal range of fluctuation but, as a first-quarter number, it is used to set a benchmark for future budgeting.
“People aren’t spending the way they used to spend, Kinney said, commenting on down sales tax collections.
Frankfort officials decided economizing its summer entertainment by cutting expenditures from over $24,000 to $15,500 can make a difference.
Kinney said finding savings in similar discretionary spending is tough in what is already a “very conservative budget.”
“We don’t have many places to cut,” he added.
But there are certain “benefits of the bad economy” such as fuel costs running lower than anticipated in the first six months of 2009, Kinney said. The town departments saved between $10,000 and $20,000 on fuel budgets so far, he estimated.
With fuel and entertainment savings helping to balance out revenue shortfalls, monthly budget reviews become more manageable, Kinney said.
The town of Frankfort Summer schedule features bands performing on Aug. 4, 5 and 6 at 7 p.m. Concerts are free of charge and open to residents from throughout the Mohawk Valley. The senior buffet is also free and will be held on Aug. 6 from 5:15 to 6:45 p.m.
