Monday, January 5, 2015

BROOKFIELD 2015 PROPERTY TAXES = $31.43 per $1,000


Okay folks, now that all the 2015 property tax bills are out, let's
take a look at how much it cost to live here in Brookfield.  
Below is a breakdown of the cost per $1,000 of assessed value
to live in Brookfield.  
Based on the 2015 tax bills, property owners in Brookfield will
pay $31.43 for every ONE THOUSAND Dollars of Assessed Value.
2015 PROPERTY TAX
TAX LEVY (2015) ANNUAL MONTHLY
$50,000 assessed value  $          1,572  $     131
$100,000 assessed value  $          3,143  $     262
2015
Rate
TAX LEVY (2015) $/$1000 Increase
SCHOOL - BCS  $          16.11 9.50%
COUNTY - Madison  $           7.89 8.40%
TOWN - Brookfield  $           6.47 1.40%
FIRE - Brookfield  $           0.96
 $          31.43

CEO Changes Coming to Chobani



According to today’s NY Post, the founder of Chobani yogurt,Hamdi Ulukaya, is being replaced as CEO and may even be stripped of his chairman role as the company scrambles to reverse financial wreckage associated with the 2013  recall. Insiders pin most of the blame on the Idaho factory, built by Ulukaya at a cost of $450 million, was responsible for the costly recall and only operating at 20 percent of capacity in 2013.  See full story at today’s NY Post…http://nypost.com/2015/01/05/chobani-ceo-being-replaced-may-be-stripped-of-chairman-role/

Are School Superintendents worth their COST?



Good article on the money spent for School Superintendents and their attempts to justify these rich salaries… BCS Superintendent Jim Plows comes out on top at $144,000 per year and a budget of $6 million (240 Students) vs. New York Mills Superintendent who only earns $139,000 and a $13 million budget (630 Students).  The highest earning school official in the Mohawk Valley raked in nearly $200,000 last year. That's almost $20,000 more than Gov. Andrew Cuomo grosses. http://www.uticaod.com/article/20150104/NEWS/150109896/1994/NEWS

Thursday, December 18, 2014

YES, there is a Santa Claus...and his name is Andrew Cuomo!!!


And a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS it will be!  Thank you Santa Cuomo! Bet the Brookfield Town Board feels  a sigh of relief! And a special THANK YOU to Larry Krauss for an OUTSTANDING ad in this week's WATERVILLE TIMES!
 

ALBANY — The Cuomo administration announced Wednesday that it would ban hydraulic fracturing in New York State, ending years of uncertainty by concluding that the controversial method of extracting gas from deep underground could contaminate the state’s air and water and pose inestimable public-health risks.


Monday, December 15, 2014


BROOKFIELD TOWN BOARD MEETING - Dec 8 Regular Meeting....

The DECEMBER 8, 2014 REGULAR MEETING of the BROOKFIELD TOWN BOARD covered a number of issues.  Below are some of the "selected highlights" ....please refer to Waterville Times for more coverage and details....

BROOKFIELD TOWN BOARD – December 8 2014 – REGULAR MEETING (Town Hall) - Attendance:  John Salka (Supervisor); Jeff Mayne, Dewitt Head, Joe Walker, Clint Abrams (Council Persons); Sherri Perretta (Clerk); Bob Piersma (Highway Superintendent).  Approximately 15 members of the public attended.


PART 1: “THE BAN” & "RULES OF CONDUCT"– DEMOCRACY IN BROOKFIELD – DOA

BOARD STOPS COMMUNITY EFFORT TO BAN HYDROFRACKING IN THE TOWN OF BROOKFIELD:  A Ban against Hydrofracking in the Town of Brookfield has been a topic of heated discussions among the Board and the Community. Finally, after YEARS of discussions, moratoriums and promises,  a Town wide straw poll was taken during this past November’s general elections.  By an overwhelming margin of 3:1, TOWN residents voted AGAINST HYDROFRACKING in the Town of Brookfield.
YET, Three BOARD MEMBERS VOTED AGAINST moving forward to institute a BAN ON HYDROFRACKING:  Jeff Mayne, Joe Walker  & Dewitt Head.   While clear that Walker & Head will never vote to support a ban (Walker has a lease; Head says neither he nor his family has a lease); perhaps most disappointing was Mayne’s  “NO” vote because  “he didn’t know enough” about the topic. 
Opponents of the Ban claim it is a form of “land use regulations”  and therefore violates their private rights to do anything they want with their property;  the welfare of neighbors and the Community are not their responsibility.  They see zoning and land use regulations as a form of control by the liberal “mobs” to bring creeping communism to Brookfield.  Ironically, many of these PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS advocates are among the largest benefactors of land use in the form of AGRICULTURE DISTRICTS.
Despite Salka’s efforts to rush past the subject (allowing less than TWO MINUTES of Board time to the subject) the “Public Comment” period re-opened THAT CAN OF WORMS -- requesting a poll of the Board --- something the Supervisor was UNWILLING to do.  
After the results and excuses given, the Board received from the audience an overwhelming message of disappointment , frustration and disgust with the outcome.  No wonder Salka had the new RULES OF DECORUM for the Public to conduct itself during Board meetings.  
RESPECT is EARNED --  a four page list of rules for the public isn’t going to do it.  Several requests for copies of the NEW RULES & POSTING ON TOWN WEBSITE were DENIED BY SALKA until AFTER they are APPROVED !  If we want to see them, he has directed the TOWN CLERK to send us to the TOWN OF DERUYTER WEBSITE.... so here you go.....talk about political cowardice.  !  Go to  DERUYTER WEBSITE to see them:  http://www.deruyternygov.us/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/rulesfordecorum.pdf     
SUGGESTION: we have  started a list of RULES OF DECORUM for THE BOARD!!!  and already received NUMEROUS SUGGESTIONS!!!

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

TOWN BOARD - Outrageous Contempt for Public


The December 8 board meeting was another display of a Town Board with no leadership or direction and rife with contempt for the Public.   Rather than addressing issues most important to this community they clearly demonstrated that they are a Board “deaf” to the community and its needs.  To add insult to injury the Town Board not only REFUSED to consider a Ban on Hydrofracking , Supervisor  Salka had the unmitigated gall to present a four page list of rules for conducting future meetings.  The objective is to clearly point out that the PUBLIC  is there only to “OBSERVE” – if you have something to say, that is what a PUBLIC MEETING is for.  So, basically, Salka and his Board advocates a “SIT DOWN & SHUT UP” attitude toward the public. 
I will follow up with notes on the meeting, but this display of contempt for the public is an outrageous act against the community. Respect is EARNED.

Monday, November 24, 2014

MADISON CO SUPERVISORS' 2015 Salaries - with their 16% INCREASE

MADISON COUNTY 2015 Budget - SUPERVISOR SALARIES = Salary + Insurance + Retirement ....this does NOT include their TOWN Salaries, which each Town pays separately....and they DESERVED a 16% increase...they don't even get taxed on the health insurance....Salka receives another $5,640 from his Town Salary.


COUNTY :      
SUPERVISOR Salary Health Ins. Retirement         TOTAL
Balll, Darrin     15,000      29,221     2,876              47,097
Bargabos, Richard     15,000      28,966     2,876              46,842
Becker, John     30,000      29,221     5,753              64,974
Bono, Ronald     15,000      21,352     2,876              39,228
Bradstreet, Sr., Roger     15,000      21,352     2,876              39,228
Carinci, Lewis     15,000      17,779     2,876              35,655
DeGear, Daniel     22,500      10,605     4,314              37,419
Goldstein, James     15,000      29,221     2,876              47,097
Henderson, Scott     15,000        9,840     2,876              27,716
Jones, David     15,000        9,415     2,876              27,291
Moses, Clifford     15,000          935          -                15,935
Pinard, Joseph     15,000             -            -                15,000
Rafte, James     15,000      21,352          -                36,352
Reinhardt, John     15,000      21,352     2,876              39,228
Salka, John     15,000      28,966     2,876              36,352
Shwartz, Eve Ann     15,000      28,966     2,366              46,332
Stepanski, Alexandr     15,000      20,417          -                35,417
Walrod, Paul     15,000      20,417     2,876              38,293
Zupan, William     15,000      21,352     1,605              37,957
  307,500    370,729   45,674  $         723,903