BY PAUL MITCHELL
North Country This Week

CANTON – After brief comments from the fire chief and treasurer at a public hearing Monday night, members of the Canton Town Board opted to wipe out a funding shortfall and fully fund the Canton Fire Department.

The 2023 budget called for funding increases for the town’s smaller departments - Rensselaer Falls, Morley and Pyrites, but a decrease for the Canton department.

Both town councilmen John Taillon and Bob Washo spoke in favor of returning the funding level to the original budget line item of $117,300.

“The things taxpayers want is highway, recreation and quality of fire service. I am not in favor of cutting funding,” said Taillon.

“I support bringing the funding to its original allocation,” stated Washo. “We have really been trying to increase funding to the smaller departments.”

Town Supervisor Mary Ann Ashley made the formal motion to amend the budget to include the funding increase. The vote was 3 to 1 with councilman Robert Santamoor voting against the change.

The budget scheduled the Canton department to receive $82,000.

Fire Chief Robert Crowe addressed the board.

“I respectfully request you return our budget line to the supervisor’s proposed budget,” he said.

Department treasurer Michael Morgan also spoke Monday night. The department puchased a new pumper for $610,000 with a $300,000 down payment.

"We have not asked for an increase in five years,” Morgan remarked. “Everyone will suffer because of that.”

In the end, the board divied up a contingency fund of $50,500 and brought the total allocation to the four fire departments to $282,500 - money collected from the Fire Protection Tax.

Canton will now receive $117,300, Rensselaer Falls and Pyrites $55,067 each, and Morley $55,066.

The $3,425,167 spending plan calls for a 4-cent increase in the town tax rate - from $2.83 per $1,000 assessed valuation in 2022 to $2.87 per $1,000 in 2023.

The tax levy stands at $1,144,127, up $29,078 from last year’s budget.

Budget highlights include a 3.5 percent pay hike for all town employees and money to fund a full-time assessor. Also, a full-time confidential secretary in the town supervisor’s office has been hired.

The proposed salaries for the town’s elected officials are $16,900 for Town Supervisor Mary Ann Ashley; $5,801 for each member of the town board - Bob Washo, Jim Smith, Bob Santamoor and John Taillon; $66,628 for Highway Superintendent Steve Smith; $45,500 for Town Clerk Heidi Smith; and $31,232 for Town Justices Michael Morgan and Rachelle Foster.

A copy of the preliminary budget is available at the town clerk’s office or online at www.cantonny.gov .

The town board is expected to adopt the budget at its monthly board meeting on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in the Canton Municipal Building courtroom.