Brookfield Moves On New Contract

The Town of Brookfield is changing its agreement with Spectrum for the next 10 years.

Town Supervisor Loren Corbin explained at last week’s meeting that the 15- year agreement expires this year.

He negotiated a new one to run for 10 years. Under the expiring contract Spectrum pays the Town a 2 percent fee based on usage annually.

This year that comes to $5,000, Corbin said.

The new fee will increase to 4 percent; the maximum is 5 percent.

Spectrum customers pay the fee, which is part of their monthly bill.

The change will help the Town pay for property assessment changes owed to Madison County.

A public hearing on the new contract will happen at the Board’s Nov. 10 meeting.

Corbin also discussed the options being considered for how Madison County shares sales tax with municipalities.

Last year the county took in $34 million in sales tax and $17.4 million of that was shared with municipalities except for the City of Oneida.

One proposal by the county is to cap the sharing amount at $17.4 million, even if the annual sales tax taken in exceeds twice that.

Brookfield is in line to receive $44,500 this year, but Corbin said under all the options that will decrease.

The Town of Sullivan, which has the bulk of Oneida Indian Nation enterprises, lost a significant amount of OIN funding when the county reallocated it a few years ago.

Under the county’s plan Sullivan would get more sales tax from other municipalities; Brookfield would lose $6,000. If the county doesn’t contribute to helping Sullivan adjust for lose of revenue, Brookfield will lose $12,000.

A third option has Brookfield losing $17,000. Corbin said no decision has been made.

He and other supervisors from the smaller towns in the county are meeting to come up with a compromise to offer.

New LED lights have been installed in Town buildings, including the Town Hall.

Highway Department Superintendent Paul Owens said road salt is up $7 a ton this year.

Doyle Road will be paved this week. The department continues to look for a full-time employee, Owens said.

A plaque was put on a tree in North Brookfield Community Park in memory of Steve Walker.

Councilman Dewitt Head explained about the town sign put in North Brookfield that caused some controversy about whether North Brookfield was in Brookfield.

Head said someone took a chainsaw to the signposts and dumped the sign in another part of town.

“We have no more plans to put them up,’’ Corbin said.

The 2026 budget will be adopted at the November meeting.

It stays within a 2 percent increase in the tax levy.

No one spoke at a hearing on the budget nor at one for the Unadilla Forks 2026 fire contract.

The siren for the Brookfield Fire Department has been repaired and will be re- installed.

The Planning Board approved a subdivision in September and will review another one that’s come before the Board.

Town Clerk Sherry Perretta ...