Emilia Teasdale is reporting for The Columbia Paper the Chatham Town Board at its September 17 meeting, reviewed the 2020 budget with the town Planning and Finance Committee Chair David Levow. Levow went through the budget to point out where the town had saved during the past months, chiefly in the grounds maintenance and recreation budget lines. Levow said the savings the town made were in budget lines that the town did not fund or funded at a reduced rate. He explained the town reduced its expenses and if revenues come in as budgeted, there could be a net savings of $75,000. But there is also a decrease in revenues from fines and forfeitures, which Levow showed were down about 50 percent from where the town was last year. Sales tax collection is another big revenue loss. However, the town is forecasting an increase in mortgage tax. Levow pointed out that some of the figures in revenues are “barely educated guesses.” Compared to what he is hearing from other municipalities and school districts, “relatively speaking, we are in tip top shape,” Levow said of the budget. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.