THOMPSON — For the fifth time in a row, the Town of Thompson will have a decrease in the tax rate for residents, and for the second year in a row, the decrease will be over five percent.

The Town Board will be adopting its final budget at their November 19 meeting after minor changes were made to Adelaar Water and Road Districts which was approved at Wednesday's November 6 meeting.

“It is not anticipated that we will exceed the tax cap, but to be cautious, the board will approve the override legislation on November 19 as well. The budget is almost in its final form,” said Thompson Supervisor Bill Rieber Jr.

According to Rieber in General Fund A, which is the general operating budget for the town, there will be a projected decrease of 5.9 percent in the tax rate and a 3 percent decrease in tax rates in General Fund B, which covers the town residents outside of the Village of Monticello.

“Those numbers can change slightly based on charge-backs from the county, but it's a good budget,” said Rieber.

Gan Eden

According to Town of Thompson Attorney Michael Mednick, the suit against the town brought on by Catskill Mountainkeeper (CMK) and The Center for Discovery (TCFD) will be up for oral argument on December 5 and may reach a settlement soon.

Shortly after the Gan Eden Estate lawsuit was settled with the Town of Thompson over zoning and density, CMK and TCFD wanted the January 2019 Consent Order nullified.

The complaint against the Town of Thompson alleges that the Planning Board and Gan Eden Estates failed to comply with the open meetings law and violated the New State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA).

However, according to Dan Horgan, attorney for Gan Eden, they have submitted or went before the planning board to restart the SEQRA process.

Park Presentation

The presentation for the Draft Town Recreation Development will be presented by Delaware Engineering on November 19 at 6 p.m. in the town hall.

The presentation will include the future of Camp Jened, which the town is looking to convert into the next town park.

The town is looking to convert the former United Cerebral Palsy campground into a town park that will offer boating, kayaking, swimming, and hiking for the residents.

The town plans to use the $250,000 awarded to them by Sullivan Renaissance for winning the Golden Feather Award toward this project.