BY ADAM ATKINSON
North Country This Week

POTSDAM — The village administrator cautioned village trustees that while the village budget in several areas is where it should be at this point in the year, fuel costs could be a concern moving forward.

“As we approach the 50 percent mark in our fiscal year, we’ve begun to very carefully watch our budget which is the normal,” Village Administrator Greg Thompson told the village board at their meeting Dec. 5. “Although it's tight, we’re okay right now. The budget is in pretty good shape.”

“The one area, if we had to pick an area of concern, is definitely gas and diesel,” Thompson said.

“We can’t do much about the price. We’ve budgeted almost double what we have budgeted the prior year and the prices were even higher than that,” he said.

“Our last drop of diesel fuel came in at $5.70 a gallon. At the pump today it was $5.75 and we’re paying state rate. So for 600 gallons we paid $3,455,” said Thompson. “That takes an awful bite out of your fuel budget when you haven’t even started plowing snow for the winter yet.”

Thompson said his hope is that, working with the village clerk and budget officer on budget modifications for the rest of the year, the current budget plan will hold out against the higher expenses.

“But it’s going to be tight, I’m not going to lie,” he said.

Thompson said other budget line items are very healthy with most departments right around the 50 percent mark where they should be.

“Everybody seems to be very cognizant of the expense. Expenses are very high right now no matter what you buy,” he said

“But we’ve instructed everybody to be extremely careful and spend as little as possible. If you need it and you’ve budgeted for it that’s fine. But if you see something you think would be handy but you haven’t budgeted for it, we are asking them to please come and talk to us about it before they make the purchase.”