The EIC, under-projects the staffing and salary requirements needed to effectively and efficiently administer the Village and Building Department, as noted below:

The EIC, in order to meet the $17,500,000 they project as “revenue currently in place,” omits key positions and functions.
Can you expect the Village Manager to act as the Treasurer as well? Are these not two full-time jobs?
The EIC completely omitted a CFO, a position which would handle the projection, control and record keeping of a $17,500,000 budget, as well as a Receiver of Taxes position to oversee the function of Levying, Billing, and Collection of Property Taxes. The EIC did not consult with the Town when their committee prepared their feasibility study/budget, nor did their corroborating consultants.
Can you expect one $75,000/year Deputy level employee to project and prepare annual operating budgets, handle all of the accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, benefits, budget projections, property tax levy, billing, collection and also be the Village Clerk? The Village Clerk oversees a significant series of functions which are required to operate a Town. There needs to be a person/persons, available and capable of handling those functions at the Village Hall, 40 hours/week.

In addition, the Greenville F.D. will become a department of the new village, who will oversee their additional $9,000,000 budget and capital borrowing.

The EIC projects one financial staff person and one secretary/office staff. When that person is out to lunch, ill, vacationing, etc., there will not be a person available to deal with a fiscal or property tax question, write a check, or answer a budget query, or answer the phone or interface with the public at Village Hall. In order to meet “bare bones” requirements to operate a Village administration, substantial, additional payroll costs would be needed.

From where will they come?

Please note, the EIC often compares its projected government to the Village of Rye Brook. Rye Brook employs the following staff in its “Treasury” Dept., 1 Treasurer, 1 Deputy Treasurer, 1 Intermediate Account Clerk, and a Fiscal Support person.

BUILDING DEPARTMENT

The EIC staffing of the building Department suffers from the same insufficient personnel levels as each of the other EIC proposed departments. However, Building Dept. employees fill critical economic/safety roles in a Municipality. First, they ensure the safety of its residents through strict compliance and inspection of multi-family and commercial properties. Second, they provide the planning, approval and inspection functions of every renovation and new construction project filed with the Village. Without adequate, competent, professional personnel, the Village would discourage rather than incentivize new development and renovation, leaving an Edgemont Village less than desirable to developers and those families wishing to purchase and build/renovate a home.

The EIC does not include a Building Dept. staff member to handle compliance. Considering the large Central Avenue Commercial District, as well as many multi-family Coop, Condo and rental units, how will the Village ensure the safety of our community.

Clearly, the assistant inspector projected is a clerical person, not a person qualified to review plans, speak to builders, engineers, and the public, regarding technical issues and interpret compliance. In the case of the Building Inspector, it appears the salary projection is substantially below what would be required to entice a qualified person. The Assistant Building Inspector would also be required, to ensure adequate coverage, oversee compliance and be available when the Inspector is out of the office. A full-time clerical person and additional part-time Account Clerk/Receptionist time would also be required for those periods when the Accounts Clerk is not available. Access to records is needed to be available to Village residents, therefore staffing would need to be available 40 hours each week for access to Village documents.

Please note, the EIC often compares its projected government to the Village of Rye Brook. Rye Brook employs the following staff in its “Building Dept.” Building and a Fire Inspector, 1 Assistant Building Inspector, and 2 Office Support Staff.

The EIC projects the rental of a 3,000 square foot office space to function as Village Hall. Consider 10 staff, an office for the Mayor and Town Board members, outside consultants, community members, a conference room, all occupying a 3,000 square foot office. Every Village record, every property file, every tax record, every personnel file and each and every invoice and check would need to be stored and secured in this projected 3,000 square foot leased location. Clearly, need is under projected and added space will be required, generating additional cost. The EIC projection is again inadequate and under-funded. Why? Because if the EIC provided a staffing level capable of providing even close to the service level we receive from Greenburgh, the budget would be “blown”.