Tonight (2020-04-06) was the Honeoye Falls Annual Meeting.
As is becoming the norm, this meeting was held online. I was not familiar with the service used, but it did the job well enough. Not perfectly, but it worked.
Considering past budget hearings, there was considerable discussion tonight. Mostly about the long term fallout of the current panic. To summarize: The original budget plan was to increase the tax rate, but in order to minimize hardships for the residents, a lower tax rate will be used. It sounded like that would be to use the same rate as this year, but I’m not completely sure on that.
The Board was trying to balance the possible pain to residents against the benefit to the Village. I think both sides had good points, and in the end it was a split vote, with the lower tax rate being chosen. At face value, seems like the better choice to me. With the way things are going, the lower the taxes the better.
I find the focus on tax rate here, in contrast to the tax levy at the school, to be rather interesting. I think the rate is a better measure, as it should stay relatively flat if things are being managed well. Yet the levy is what the law is written to, pretty much forcing an increase each year.
Sewer rates were also approved, but there was no discussion there.
Budget hearing done, it was on to the Annual Meeting proper.
And it was a normal Annual Meeting, despite the change in venue. Same patterns on motions, much of the same people/groups being named. Were a few names I didn’t recognize, so things aren’t stagnant.
Once that was done, it was on to Rick’s (Mayor) ‘State of the Village’ speech. As would be expected, the panic featured heavily here. Although there was an interesting contrast. On the one side, we were told to maintain proper ‘social distance’. And on the other, to get close to each other, the better to help our neighbors. He also spoke of the uncertainties from other governmental entities providing financial support. Will the County continue to share sales tax? Will the State reduce it’s various supports? Ever unknown is the future, yet Rick sounded optimistic.
And those are my Observations From Audience Land for the April 6, 2020 Annual Meeting of the Honeoye Falls Board of Trustees.
Link to agenda on Village website.
As the meeting was recorded, it may be available in the future. Or not, time will tell.