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Mount Pleasant Saves Jobs Of Three Town Employees

VALHALLA, N.Y. — After originally proposing to eliminate three full-time town employees due to budget cuts, Mount Pleasant worked out savings that will allow the workers to keep their jobs.

Mount Pleasant Town Supervisor Joan Maybury, right, announces Tuesday that the town saved the jobs of three town employees.

Mount Pleasant Town Supervisor Joan Maybury, right, announces Tuesday that the town saved the jobs of three town employees.

Photo Credit: Robert Michelin

"Losing these employees would have had an adverse affect on the community," Town Supervisor Joan Maybury said. "This is an excellent way to solve that problem."

Maybury announced the changes at Tuesday night's 2013 budget public hearing at the Town Board meeting in Valhalla. The town negotiated four days furlough with the local unions representing the workers so they will receive four days without pay, Maybury said. Those compromises combined with savings the town will receive from a new deal for audit services allow the workers to stay on the payroll. The three workers are within the parks and recreation, water and sewer, and highway departments, she said.

Despite saving those three jobs, the town is still required to reduce three full-time clerical workers to part-time positions. Those workers will have their hours cut in half to 17.5 hours a week with pay of $15 an hour starting Jan. 1.

The cuts were necessary due to rising costs of unfunded mandates, Maybury said.

"It's explainable, but it's unfortunate," she said. "Every department here is spending less than they did last year."

The town currently has 135 employees, which is a record low. The most was 157 employees in 2008. The town's current expenses are higher now than in 2008, Maybury said. 

Mount Pleasant's $40 million budget includes a 4.4 percent tax rate increase, or an increase of about $47 from last year for the average assessed home. 

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