REGIONAL – It's budget time. That may end up meaning standoffs and shutdowns on a federal level, or all-night suspenseful sessions up in Albany, but here in our readership area it's the key set of decisions we elect town boards for... even with restricting mandated tax caps now in place.

The process started in recent weeks and builds to public hearings on proposed spending plans in the coming weeks, the creation of a preliminary budget for final review, and passage in the weeks just following the upcoming November 3 election.

Last week, county executives proposed spending plans for the coming year in Orange and Ulster counties. In Sullivan County, meanwhile, there's been no mention of a budget for the coming year yet, although traditionally County Manager Joseph Potosek has presented a plan by the second or third week of October, at a county legislature meeting.

Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus has proposed a $725.3 million spending plan for the coming year that would avoid layoffs, cut spending by $7.5 million, invest $105,000 to strengthen the county's three cities and focus on tourism, with income bolstered by the sale of "unused county assets" to keep the property tax increase under the state's cap. So far it's tight, but apparently non-controversial... and a continuation of recent years' frugality aimed at undoing previous shortfalls.

In Ulster County, Mike Hein has proposed a $330 million plan that would reduce county spending by $4.52 million, or 1.1 percent, and force the property tax levy down by $850,000, or 1.1 percent... all while allocating more money towards drug abuse prevention, more firefighter training (and a fire training center), upgrades to the county's emergency dispatch systems, and numerous road and bridge repairs. This is being done largely through continuing job cuts... and a document who legislators noted, repeatedly, needed further looking into because of its "complexity."

The full legislature will vote on their final budgets in each county come early December.

As for our local communities, Wawarsing supervisor Lenny Distel noted that "it's going okay so far," after completing his town's 2016 tentative budget of $7,542,484.99, excluding fire and ambulance costs, by the states' deadline of September 30. While higher than last year's preliminary figure, it is $3,315,794.01 less than the 2015 finalized budget of $10,858,279.00 — and will likely change as the process unfolds. Revenue, excluding real estate taxes, is tentatively figured at $2,206,313.22; $4,343.78 shy of last year's preliminary budget figure of $2,210,657.00.

In coming weeks, Distel added, the board will have to "take out their little axe and start trimming" to meet the governor's tax cap of 0.73 percent, versus last year's 1.56 percent.

In Rochester, supervisor Carl Chipman has released a tentative town budget for 2016 that uses the "wish list" approach before big cuts start. It's added up to being .97 percent lower than in 2015, but would still force a 4.04 percent increase in the tax levy as is.

"Last year, we started with a ten percent increase," Chipman said. "We'll have to do a little trimming."

He added that recent problems that came up following the state comptroller's fiscal stress tests were due, in large part, to a previous supervisor "using the fund balance against the tax levy to the tune of $300,000 a year... We're very low in reserves. We'll start bringing up the fund balance a bit now."

Charles Carnes of Crawford said he expected his town to come in with "an increase of .93 percent in overall taxation," still under the tax cap, as applied, with the town's biggest spending increase in its highway department due to needed replacement of equipment and rises in the cost of salt. Not to mention the usual insurance and workers comp hikes.

"We'll use $115,000 in fund balance monies," Carnes added. "It's nothing too dramatic, more of a steady-as-it-goes budget that allows us to keep our capital projects ongoing."

Figures will be released next week.

Down in Mamakating, meanwhile, supervisor Bill Herrmann said he's holding a budget workshop next week but is telling everyone, "We are well under the tax cap with an increase of 0.52 percent in the budget and no increase in taxes."

Up in Marbletown, supervisor Michael Warren is projecting a 7.45 percent decrease for the coming year due to shared services. But also with pay increases for employees and a 5.83 percent increase in highway department spending to bring town roads up to better standards.

"I will be presenting a 1.82 percent increase... I am not comfortable presenting a budget lower than that because it may put the town in jeopardy if I do," said Rosendale supervisor Jeanne Walsh. "We have a number of capital projects including the reopening of the pool and I feel it is important to have funds for contingency. But I have not yet factored in the revenue of shared services for the shared town hall."

Finally, over in Shawangunk, supervisor John Valk noted that, "the biggest problem we're facing is a 19 percent jump in MVP health insurance costs. Another big issue is road salt."

But he added, he'll make sure the general fund will be under the cap.

"It's up to the board whether to apply more of the fund balance," he added.