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February 12, 2009 | 10:35 AM
With Brookhaven Town about to close its books on 2008, Finance Commissioner Charlene Kagel offered a preview of the bottom line to the Town Board last week. At a work session on Feb. 5, Kagel reported that revenues to the townwide General Fund were expected to be 9.4 percent below 2007 collections, decreasing by $15.7 million. Expenditures, on the other hand, were projected to increase 3.5 percent, $5.4 million, from the comparable 2007 amount.
The shortfall between 2008's receipts and expenses will be made up by applying town surpluses to balance the books. Such a year-end financial shift is typical, although projections for 2009 indicate a significantly larger amount of surplus will be required to balance this year's ledger. About $8.9 million will be used for 2008, but Kagel's current projection indicated that almost twice as much, $17.4 million, would be needed for 2009.
Kagel said a brighter note in her report was that expenditures for 2008 appeared, shortly before all bills were paid, to be running about $4 million below the town's latest budget figure, revised twice last year.
A chart prepared by Kagel's office listed the largest increases in spending over the previous year. Leading the way was health insurance, up 10 percent or $958,000. Liability insurance rose 35 percent, or $300,000. Not surprisingly, one of the largest percentage rises was for gasoline, up $317,000 or 59 percent over the previous year. A significant rise also occurred in the category of Outside Legal, which rose 61 percent or $384,000.
Kagel told the Council members that final figures for 2008 would be compiled this month.
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