Grace Proud of Yorktown’s Current Financial Condition
As the town board prepares to adopt the 2018 budget, Yorktown Supervisor Michael Grace is proud of the financial condition he is leaving the town in when he leaves office at the end of the year.
“We have done very well because we watched every nickel that we spend,” Grace said during a recent public hearing on the spending plan, which is $900,000 under the state mandated tax cap. “I take pride in what we achieved in terms of restoring this town to fiscal health. It wasn’t luck. It was hard work. It was being disciplined.”
Grace, who was defeated in the November election by former town justice Ilan Gilbert as he vied for a fourth two-year term, said the town’s fund balance has increased dramatically under his watch to its current level of $10 million and maintained no town tax increase should be necessary for at least the next five years.
“The embarrassing thing about the fiscal health of the town is it’s too healthy,” Grace said. “Why should I take people’s money if we don’t need it? We’re leaving the town in very good shape for the next administration.”
During the hearing, former supervisor and councilwoman Susan Siegel accused Grace of becoming “addicted” to using fund balance to keep the tax levy down, which she contended was “not a very good practice.”
“The 2018 budget continues to play dangerous games with the tax levy,” Siegel remarked. “Decreasing the tax levy doesn’t necessarily mean lower taxes.”
Grace scoffed at Siegel’s remarks and warned Gilbert about the individuals he takes advice from when he is supervisor.
“I don’t know what it means to be addicted to fund balance. It’s complete utter nonsense,” said Grace, who noted $1 million from the general fund was being utilized to balance the 2018 budget. “It’s the same criticism I’ve heard from Susan Siegel for six years. The next administration, be careful who you listen to. Be careful of what is said. If you’re going to be a leader sometimes you can’t listen to the naysayers.”
Gilbert said he wouldn’t be able to evaluate the financial shape of the town until he is actually calling the shots for several months.
“Time will tell what kind of budget this ultimately will be,” he said. “I hope that our transition can be a smooth one. I intend to listen to all sides and give all sides a fair hearing.”
Grace said $100,000 was included in the budget for lights at the Granite Knolls sports complex on Stony Street, which he maintained was otherwise being funded by outside sources.
“The bottom line is we got two fields for the price of one,” Grace said. “We had a target and we hit that target.”
Several town recreational sports officials were relieved to learn the Granite Knolls facility, which is expected to be completed in time for the spring sports season, will not be shortchanged.
“Granite Knolls has something for everybody,” said Yorktown Athletic Club President John Campobasso. “It will be such a great facility for all the kids.”
Meanwhile, Grace put in his two cents to the incoming town board about moving forward with his pet project of relocating the town’s highway garage and parks and recreation operations, a controversial plan that has been met with some opposition from several outspoken residents and Councilman Vishnu Patel.
“Everybody has two eyes but not the same view,” Patel remarked.
The vote on the 2018 budget is slated to take place on December 19 at Yorktown Town Hall.
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/
