BEEKMAN – Cutting corners like consolidated purchasing, eliminating phone lines and renegotiating health benefits helped reduce spending in the Beekman town budget by $383,000. That money has been restored to the town’s rainy day fund.

The 2010 town budget amounted to roughly $4.5 million, French said.

“At the end of fiscal year 2010 after you calculate all revenues, all expenditures, we did not spend $383,000 of what was anticipated to be spent through that fiscal year,” he said.

The previous administration had appropriated over $3.2 million of the rainy day fund, leaving $846,000. The new found money has been added to that, said Town Supervisor Daniel French.

French, a Democrat, will face off for Dutchess County executive this fall against Republican State Assemblyman Marc Molinaro.