Sarah Trafton is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the Catskill Town Board has adopted a $6.98 million town budget for 2020. The spending reflects a 2.8 percent increase in spending and a tax rate of $6.35 per $1,000 of value. Town Supervisor Doreen Davis said the initial tentative budget, as presented in October, was a compilation of wish lists from departments. The tentative budget called for a 3.9 percent increase, and the town board was then tasked with reducing the projected increase to an amount that fell under the state tax cap. With the exception of 2019, the board has delivered the budget below the state mandated tax cap for three of the last four years, Davis said, citing sewer costs for the increased budget last year. On the revenue side, there has been an increase of 1.4 percent as the result of additional business permit activity related to economic development, Davis said. Building permits increased from more than $32,000 in September 2018 to $82,591 in September 2019, she said. The budget includes health care increases for employees, modest salary increases and an investment in the ambulance service. “We also put aside funding to supplement a comprehensive plan review and to fund costs incurred as a result of legal actions taken against the town,” Davis said. The board chose to draw $370,000 from the town's fund balance to stay under the cap, she said. Davis noted that despite advertising a total of three budget workshops and a public hearing, the board did not receive much public input on the plan. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.