Emilia Teasdale is reporting in The Columbia Paper the Chatham Town Board held a special meeting last week to discuss its proposed 2017 budget with Budget and Labor Consultant Michael Richardson and Town Budget Officer Tammy Shaw. Residents filled the meeting room at Town Hall as Richardson reviewed cuts planned for next year. Officials hope the adjustments will help improve town finances. Earlier this year the board learned it was facing a budget shortfall of approximately $60,000 in the current budget year. Richardson said last week that spending in the 2017 proposed budget will remain flat from 2016, and the tax levy increase will be below the state mandated cap of 0.68 percent. The cuts proposed include laying off the full-time Town Hall maintenance person, reducing the salaries of Zoning Board of Appeals and Planning Board members, cutting the town’s contribution to the Chatham/Ghent senior group, and using the county assessor instead of having a town assessor. The 2017 budget must be adopted by November 20, and the budget goes into effect January 1. A public hearing on the spending plan will be held November 3. The proposed budget is available online at Chatham New York [dot] U S. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.