Round Lake officials back Woerner on overspending claims

ROUND LAKE >> Officials from the village of Round Lake Board of Trustees released information in response to claims from supporters of 113th Assembly District candidate Steve Stallmer, R-Saratoga Springs against his opponent Carrie Woerner, D-Malta.

Washington County Republican Committee Chairman Sam Hall said documents showed that Woerner increased overall spending by 80.4 percent and increased taxes 22.88 percent during here time as a Round Lake village trustee but continues to run a campaign on fiscal responsibility and reducing village spending.

But the Woerner campaign and Round Lake officials said these claims are false.

The village’s Board of Trustees said they have remained under the 2 percent tax cap for the last four years and that the tax rate has actually decreased from $6.25 per $1,000 of assessed property value to $4.90 per thousand.

“Contrary to implication, we have been good stewards of the taxpayer’s money,” the board said in a press release.

The village board said rising healthcare costs, fuel and pension costs have challenged the budget over the last four years and they’ve made the cuts needed to reflect that by cutting trustee salaries, cutting some positions and cutting others from full-time to part-time. The board said as a result, they were able to stay under the tax cap.

They also mentioned corresponding expenses related to the contracts involved for fire protection services.

The town of Malta contracts with the village of Round Lake to provide fire protection services at 82 cents per thousand and that money must be used for fire protection services.

Malta has increased the amount paid for fire protection services, which appears on the budget, but the money can only be used for those services specifically, the board said.

Documents obtained by Stallmer’s supporters show that spending increased in Round Lake from $843,333 in 2007-08 to $1,521,349 in the 2014-15 budget, and the tax levy increased from $235,194 in 2007-08 to $289,016 in the 2014-15 budget. Woerner was elected to the town board in 2008.

“The Village of Round Lake stands by its record of cutting taxes and spending and I am proud to stand with them. Taxpayers deserve the truth, not politically motivated, D.C.-style attacks. I am disappointed my opponent is trying to distort our record of providing services to the Town of Malta for his political gain,” Woerner said.

The 113th Assembly District covers portions of both Washington and Saratoga counties, including Easton, Greenwich, Jackson, Salem, Argyle, Fort Edward, Kingsbury and Hartford in Washington County and Moreau, Northumberland, Wilton, Malta, Stillwater, the town of Saratoga and the cities of Mechanicville and Saratoga Springs in Saratoga County.