ELDRED, NY — They turned it into a bit of a cliffhanger, but in the end, the Highland Town Board on October 26 finally approved a $1,861,733 budget requiring a 1.05% tax increase.

Things looked different in September, when Supervisor Jeff Haas said the board was looking at some cuts to deal with a 9.8% increase in employee health insurance. Earlier in October, Haas said the board was looking at a 4.3% tax increase and still filling in new revenue numbers.

The board provided a tentative budget with a 2.61% tax hike at the October 26 hearing. The agenda for the special meeting following the hearing also carried a resolution to pass a local law allowing the town to exceed the state mandated 1.184% tax increase ceiling.

However, that resolution was not needed. The board recessed to an hour-long executive session following the hearing. They emerged to announce that a $30,000 savings had been found in the health insurance, which resulted in the finally approved lower budget numbers.

“Put that in bold type,” so board critic Charles Petersheim sees it, Councilman Scott Hallock said.

After earlier separate hearings, the board also approved new contracts for the Highland Lake ($71,600) and Yulan ($145,000) fire departments, the American Legion Ambulance Corps ($27,000) and the Sunshine Hall Library ($11,400).

Little fiscal stress in Sullivan

The New York State Comptroller annually rates the fiscal health of each county, local government and school district statewide. The Fiscal Stress Summary uses provided prior year (2016) figures to pro-rate values of revenue, spending and indebtedness and create a zero-to-100 stress percentage. Ratings of 0% to 45% are positively termed as “no designation,” 45% to 55% are termed “susceptible” to stress, ratings of 55% to 65% are termed “moderately” stressed and those over 65% are said to be “significantly” stressed.

In Sullivan, 27 of 30 governments filed. Thompson, Fremont and the Village of Bloomingburg did not file 2016 figures. Fremont has not filed in the past three years. Of the remaining 26, the county government (rated 22.5%) and 22 others were given positive “no designation” ratings.

Of the remaining three, the Village of Wurtsboro and Livingston Manor School District were rated as susceptible to stress. Livingston Manor was so rated despite an apparent positive percentage of 26.7%. The only moderately stressed government unit listed was the Eldred Central School District. The ECS rating of 58% has increased steadily from 35% over the three-year period.

“No designation” ratings for participating towns included: 0% for Lumberland, Delaware, Rockland and Tusten; Forestburgh 3.3%, Bethel 5%, Fallsburg 6.3%, Highland 6.7%, Neversink 10%, Liberty 12.5%, Callicoon and Mamakating 12.9%, and Cochecton at 22.5%.