By JEFF MORRIS
At its meeting on Nov. 7, the Bedford Town Board voted to adopt a tentative budget for 2025 that is considerably below the tax cap. It also approved including the town in a conservation grant program, and OK’d a request to purchase a new utility terrain vehicle.
Tentative budget
Comptroller Brian Kenneally, who joined the town in March following the retirement of former comptroller Abraham Zambrano, gave a brief overview of the proposed budget, indicating that at the next meeting he will provide a more detailed 15 to 20 minute budget presentation.
Kenneally said the budget process actually began at the beginning of June, and after meeting multiple times with every department he reported back to the board and conducted public work sessions. He was required by law to submit a copy of the tentative budget to the town clerk by Oct. 30.
The increase in the tax levy, said Kenneally, is currently 2.77 percent. “We’re well below the tax cap,” he said. “I know the board here was committed to stay below the cap. We’re in great fiscal shape, we had a great couple of years; from day one back in June we had no intention of breaking the cap for 2025.”
Kenneally said in addition to the 2.77 percent tax increase, there was a growth in assessments; a tax base growth factor of about 0.7 percent. “So not only a modest increase in the levy,” he said, “that will be further offset by the increase in assessed values.” He said the 2.7 percent may drop down to a more realistic 2 percent for a rate increase.
Kenneally said he does not expect the budget to change much from where it is now; the only thing they do not have finalized are the health insurance rates. He said New York State Health Insurance Plan rates always come in at the last minute and may change. “I’m hearing rumors that it may not be as bad this year as it has been,” he added, noting that they had been dealing with 13- to 15-percent increases.
The town’s long term goal, he said, has been to wean off of relying on fund balance, which has been used in order to not further increase taxation. He said the current appropriated fund balance is $950,000, but “just because we budget for that doesn›t mean we actually dip into the reserves.” He said there’s still a chance they will not use any fund balance, which has been the case the last couple of years.
While Kenneally did not discuss any of the actual numbers in the budget, saying he would do that Nov. 19, his supporting documentation showed the allowable tax cap would be a 3.67 percent increase. Projected total expenditures for 2025 are $38,391,406, compared with $37,193,065 in 2024, while revenues are projected at $11,829,145, versus $11,176,356 in the current year. The tax levy of $25,862,261 would be a 1.51 percent increase over the 2024 levy of $25,316,709; last year’s increase was 3.71 percent.
The board voted to adopt the tentative budget, and set a public hearing on the 2025 budget for Tuesday, Nov. 19.
Open space program grant
The Open Space Acquisition Committee made a request for the board to approve a resolution to include the town in the Highlands Conservation Act Grant Program. Supervisor Ellen Calves said they had spoken with the Highlands Conservation group, the Open Space Acquisition Committee and Westchester Land Trust about the opportunity.
“It basically just says that when a grant becomes available, we want to be on the list to be able to apply for it,” said Calves. “It’s for open space funds, and it requires a 50 percent match of potential grant funds from the town. We have our open space tax levy and could also partner with local stakeholders like the land trust or donors to obtain that 50 percent match.”
John Needham, chair of OSAC, said it puts the town in position, with no commitment or obligation, to be able to access grants from the federal government that could come in handy for future acquisitions.
Asked about the typical range of grants available, Ted Warren of the Hudson Highlands Land Trust said in the competitive grant round the minimum is $50,000; if it is a great and very expensive project that everyone at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service thinks is really important, there is a maximum amount, which Needham said this year is $1.4 million. Warren said the money cannot be used for maintenance; it is really for acquisitions and administrative costs of the acquisitions process.
The board approved the resolution to be added to the list of potential grant recipients.
Polaris UTV
Police Chief Melvin Padilla Jr. requested that the town purchase a Polaris utility terrain vehicle at a total cost of approximately $60,000.
Padilla said the vehicle will replace the current Polaris UTV which is approximately 10 years old and is reaching the end of its service life. He said this type of vehicle gives officers the ability to quickly locate lost or injured residents on tree-covered hiking or riding trails in rough terrain, getting them necessary medical attention and evacuation. He said it will also assist officers with the ability to quickly locate and apprehend potential fleeing suspects in many heavily wooded areas within the town.
Padilla noted most recently, a new use was during the Katonah parade. “Because of all the apparatus on the particular road they were on at the moment the call came in, traditional vehicles weren’t able to access where the call was.” He said the current UTV was able to be used to get the residents the help they needed. “A new UTV will only increase our ability to use it in unique and different ways to service the community,” he said.
The board approved the purchase, which Padilla said the comptroller had confirmed could be done with funds available in the existing vehicle capital budget.