Town of New Paltz considers budget cuts, short-term rental regulations

It seems clear that some Town of New Paltz programs will be cut back in the next budget. Supervisor Neil Bettez said at the October 21 Town Council meeting that there’s a lot more to do in order to pass a budget that’s within the tax cap. As a backstop, board members passed a law allowing them to exceed the cap, but Bettez sounded determined not to invoke that power. The supervisor said that significant cuts, such as $5,000 from the youth program, have already been proposed, but that the early versions of the budget still show an increase of close to five percent. There’s also $350,000 in federal rescue money that’s promised, but those funds sometimes carry restrictions that could hamper using it to improve the bottom line. Bettez noted that there are two more meetings of the Town Council before any final decisions must be made and expressed hope that the final numbers will show a much lower increase for property owners.