LaGrange Republicans...
committed to the future of LaGrange
CONSERVATIVE BUDGETING - The Republican Town Board has been producing consistently conservative budgets. The 2010 Town budget had been reduced to a level equal to what it was in 2007. The Republican Town Board has led the way in cost reduction. An analysis of financial reports between 2004 and 2010 reveals that the Town Board has reduced the actual spending by 6.8%.
Internal control policies, strict spending policies and reductions across the board have all contributed to keeping taxes as low as possible. Several vacant jobs remain unfilled, spending cuts, and other reductions will continue to occur, and lean budgets will be the rule of the day.
REMEMBER only 9 % of your yearly total tax bill goes to the Town budget. 91% of what you pay in land taxes goes to the County, Fire department and School District. Click Here For More
SMART GROWTH - The Republican Town Board worked through the process of developing a new Master Plan. The process was an example of open government in action. Countless LaGrange Citizens were invited to be a part of the process and answered the call. Their opinions were recorded and used to develop the Master Plan. Overall build out in the Town has been reduced. The effect will be fewer homes built, less of a burden to our schools and our infrastructure. New zoning laws, designed to make the master plan work, have been enacted.
OPEN MEETINGS - Each and every meeting of the Republican Town Board is open to the public, including workshop sessions. Public comment is welcome and often used to guide the decision making process. Workshop on the budget routinely involve numerous residents and they were able to hear first hand the deliberations of the Board. Workshop sessions are often informal and residents participate actively when they attend. Business meetings are preceded with an agenda that outlines each topic to be discussed, the agenda is posted on the Town Web Site. Public comment is always welcome and encouraged. .
Supervisor Wagner has also launched an "electronic newsletter" as a part of the Town's web site. to keep taxpayers up to date on issues that should concern them.
OPEN SPACE - In 2005 Republican Supervisor Jon Wagner (then a Councilman) gained the support of the Town board and instituted an Open Space Committee. That Committee consisted of Citizen Volunteers and who continue to work hard toward the goal of preserving undeveloped land in LaGrange. Republican Town Board Member Gary Polhemus served as Chairman. That goal is being met once again through open meetings and public input. LaGrange under Republican Leadership has received tens of thousands of dollars in grant money from the Hudson River Greenway to support open space.
The open space plan was presented to the public on May 23, 2007. A working committee with a goal of implementation of the plan will be named as soon as practical. Your Republican Town Board and Supervisor have consistently advocated for the preservation of our remaining local farms. Fair assessment of active farm land and tax incentives to keep the farmers farming are among the goals.
2008 OPEN SPACE UPDATE! Open Space Bond Proposition Passed 3-1 on November 4 2008. The Republican Town Board leads the way toward preservation.
Farmland Preserved in 2010! Over 100 acres of farmland has been preserved through the purchase of development rights to the Pierson Farm on Skidmore Road. This acreage helps to protect the aquifer and the watershed to the Sprout Creek and beyond. Your Republican led Town Board secured a $100,000.00 grant from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Estuary fund to offset the purchase.
Additional farmland is under consideration for preservation including over 100 acres on Noxon Road (the Sleight Farm)
TOWN CENTER - The Town Center plan is a good plan for the future of LaGrange. It will provide LaGrange with a "sense of place". It will also provide an opportunity for our residents to downsize if they desire. There will be smaller coach style homes, apartments over shops as well as a mix of traditional homes. The much needed development of a commercial tax base in LaGrange can happen in Town Center. The Arlington School District has been involved in many of the planning discussions for Town Center. Initial economic studies indicate that the project will have a very positive tax benefit to the Town. The tax dollars generated from the project will outweigh the burden to our schools. New assessment worksheets developed by the Dutchess County Economic Development Corp.(DCEDC) will be used to assess the impact of this development to our community. In general the DCEDC has indicated such a mixed use center will have a positive economic impact for our taxpayers.
The Town Center plan is endorsed by the Dutchess County Planning Department and Pace University Law School Land Use Center. The plan is an example of good planning. It is an example of Smart Growth.
Traffic is a real concern. The Republican Town Board has applied for Federal appropriations to fund traffic improvements along Route 55. Such an application is a first for LaGrange. Then Representative Kirsten Gilibrand worked with Supervisor Wagner in a non-partisan effort to assist in that application. The developers also plan to absorb a portion of the cost for Rte 55 traffic improvements. NYS DOT is taking an active role in the planning. Route 55 improvements make up a major portion of this project, and are being considered carefully and openly. NYSDOT has identified over 6 million dollars to make improvements to Rte 55 between the Taconic Parkway and Freedom Rd. Careful planning by traffic engineering specialists is under way.
NYS DOT continues to plan the Rte 55 improvements today. A Citizen Review Committee has been established to go over options for the corridor. NYS DOT has met with Supervisor Wagner and local business and civic leaders on numerous occasions and the project is progressing.
WATER AND SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE - The Republican led Town Board continues to work toward a competent network of water and sewer districts. The plan for such utilities places them in the highest density areas of town. This placement affords the most protection to our natural resources and controls sprawl. Providing these utilities in conjunction with the Town masterplan supports smart growth. The Manchester Water source and the expandable sewer plant on Overlook Road acknowledge future growth.
Your Republican Town Board and Supervisor have used a public/private combination of funding to pay for the infrastructure. This method has saved the taxpayers millions of dollars. The Titusville trunk sewer has been constructed and provided relief from a failing sewer plant for Titusville Sewer District residents. The trunk line along with the new plant will allow for additional much needed commercial properties to be developed along its route. The result will be additional positive tax revenue to provide relief from our over burdened residential base.
The public/private method of funding saved Titusville sewer District residents sixty six percent (66%) of the cost of the new plant. NYS DEC ordered that the plant be built- AN UNFUNDED MANDATE. Without the partnership those residents would have been forced to pay 100% of the cost due to the mandate.
The plant was built to be expanded and those expansion plans are underway to make way for careful commercial development which will offset your residential tax bill!
LaGrange Republican Committee
Dutchess County
New York
