Archive: Around Town

Responding to a New York State Comptrollers audit that accused the Lansing Fire District of overtaxing, Former Deputy Lansing Supervisor Connie Wilcox expressed support this week of the fire commissioners' fiscal plan.

"I want to commend you for the way you handle your finances and what you do as far as budgeting," she said at the Tuesday fire commission meeting.  "I think it was wrong for the Comptroller's office to beat you up.  If the County and some of the rest of the governments would take a lesson from you and pay for things as they get it instead of going into debt."

While serving on the Town Board Wilcox was the town liaison to the fire district.

The Comptroller's audit claimed the Lansing Fire District set unreasonable budget amounts between 2008 and 2012 that averaged $777,000 lower expenditures than appropriations from property taxes.  But fire commissioners said the auditors misinterpreted the purpose of collecting the money, which was put into reserves to pay for major capital projects on fire stations, and for the purchase of fire trucks that typically exceed a half million dollars.

Improvements on Central Station and the replacement of the Oakcrest Road station in the Village of Lansing from the ground up were entirely paid for without borrowing money or raising taxes.  A pumper-tanker worth about $500,000 is to be delivered later this year.  Capital projects on the Lansingville and North Lansing fire stations are also in the works.

The state process requires a written corrective action plan within 90 days of the audit's public release.  District treasurer George Gesslein says they will send their response within the allotted time, but after the 2014 budget is approved.

"We've got to respond," he says.  "As soon as the budget is approved we'll respond."

The district maintains a 20 year capital plan that estimates when major purchase will be required as buildings and equipment age.  Gesslein says that with so much uncertainty because of the possible closing of Cayuga Power Plant and a still-wavering economy that the tax rate will likely remain the same, but adds that it could go down after a few years.  Wilcox said that is good fiscal practice.

"I think you set a good example, and as a taxpayer I really appreciate that," she told the commissioners.  "I think it was wrong of the Comptroller's office to say that you were overtaxing, because you are definitely fiscally responsible."

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