Emilia Teasdale is reporting in The Columbia Paper the Chatham Town Board last week adopted its $3.4-million 2017 budget. The spending plan covers government operations plus support for five fire companies that serve the town and for the North Chatham Library. The budget also included $30,000 for the Enhanced Enforcement Patrol, which is paid to the County Sheriff’s Office for a deputy assigned to monitor speeding and other traffic violations on town roads. Councilman Henry Swartz expressed reservations about the item and said the board could have put the money to better use. Board members John Wapner and Landra Haber said they supported the patrol as a way to to deal with speeding in the town. The board cut the salaries of Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals members. The decision was also made to reduce the number of members of the ZBA from seven to five. That reduction will happen over the next two years. The town assessor and a town hall maintenance worker also took pay cuts in the 2017 budget. Town Councilman Bob Balcom said he was proud of how the 2017 budget was prepared. He thanked the Citizens Finance and Planning Committee, and budget consultant Michael Richardson for volunteering their time. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.