Yorktown Town Board Final 2024 Preliminary Budget Public Hearing - December 5, 2023

The Yorktown Town Board held its final 2024 preliminary budget public hearing on December 5, 2023, at 7:00 PM. The meeting began with the Pledge of Allegiance, a remembrance of Pearl Harbor Day (December 7th), and a presentation from the library director about the successful haunted house event. The board then opened the budget hearing, where Supervisor Thomas P. Diana presented a 2024 budget with a zero percent tax increase on the ADNL (general, highway, and library) funds, despite rising costs. Public comments raised questions about revenue projections, fund balances, tax abatements, and specific line items. Board members and staff provided detailed responses, and the budget was ultimately adopted unanimously. The meeting concluded with a series of resolutions and a motion to enter executive session.

Consent Calendar

• No consent calendar was explicitly listed; routine approvals were handled via roll-call votes on individual resolutions.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Mark (first speaker): Questioned the 24% projected increase in sales tax revenue (vs. county’s 4.5%), the drop in taxable assessed value, the use of fund balance, and the refuse tax increase of 9.9%. He urged the board to explain the total tax picture and not just the town tax.
• Larry Killian (33-year resident): Criticized the lack of maintenance on Downing tennis courts, asked about refunds for fees paid, and questioned the capital plan for parks. He also argued that tax breaks for developers (485‑B) should be reviewed, noting that new commercial development (e.g., Uncle Giuseppes) did not increase tax revenue and that traffic problems have worsened.
• Mary Jane Killian: Urged the town to invest in clean energy, citing neighboring Croton’s solar parking lot generating $400,000/year in rent. She argued that using fund balance for energy projects would save taxpayer money and reduce expenses.
• Gianmar Jendani: Asked where the $47.8 million total fund balance is invested, who manages it, and why the town does not use a portion for energy‑saving infrastructure rather than just saving it.
• Susan Siegel (former supervisor): Criticized the board for focusing on “town tax” percentage while ignoring other taxes (refuse, EMS, water, sewer). She noted the garbage tax increase was about $50/year ($4/month) but was minimized. She questioned the 24% sales tax increase, reliance on fund balance, and the drop in assessed value. She also asked about specific line items: $60,000 for communications (PR firm), elimination of an IT hire, foreclosure spending, the part-time prosecutor’s performance, vacancies at the YCC building, capital contingency, water meter progress, sewer I&I problems, the fluoride project delay, and the need for a police officer at meetings.
• Jenny Sunshine: Praised holiday decorations but asked for larger Hanukkah and Kwanzaa displays. She questioned why taxes haven’t gone down despite new development, asked about recreation fee waivers, and requested paving for Ravencrest Road and Elk Court. She also expressed concern about a possible pipeline project at Willow Pond Park.
• Sheila Freyer: Noted that the planning board waived the park and rec fee for the Unicorn development in exchange for a pond/historical signage, which she called “short‑sighted.” Asked for updates on the Granite Knolls solar project, whether expected money from Competitive Carting’s bond will be recovered, and whether funds are set aside for the AAA lawsuit.
• Anthony Pichette: Encouraged paying board members a full salary. Requested a discussion about a pedestrian killed by a car. Asked for more traffic safety measures, including speed limit reductions on his street and a campaign for safe driving. Also asked about grant coordination and the status of ARPA funds.
• Additional public comment (last speaker): Asked about centralized grant management, a list of 2023 grants, Hallex Mill sewer expansion plans, and ARPA spending.

Budget Adoption

• Supervisor Diana opened the public hearing, then gave an overview: zero percent tax increase on ADNL lines, $1,050,000 from an Embridge settlement for the park sinkhole, 11 miles of paving, in‑house water main repair saving $650,000, and tightened departmental budgets. He noted that the 2024 budget rose from $65 million to $69 million, but revenues (especially sales tax) offset the increase. He also mentioned a possible town hall on NYSEG’s 30% rate hike over three years.
• The board and staff responded to public comments:
  • Janelle, Comptroller: Explained that the 24% sales tax increase is based on historical surpluses from conservative estimates, not a new projection; mortgage tax dropped due to a 50% decrease in receipts. Stated that investments are limited to time deposits and CDs per state law. Noted that general fund balance is partly used to front‑fund grants, which are later reimbursed. ARPA: $3.7 million received, $1.8 million allocated, remainder must be encumbered by end of 2024, spent by 2026.
  • Kim, Assessor: The drop in taxable assessed value is due to an increase in senior exemptions (262 new filers), not a decline in market values; total assessed value actually increased by $489,913 (~$28.5 million market).
  • Councilman Sergio Esposito: Noted that the board is reviewing the park and rec fee law to make it less than 100% mitigable. He defended the police officer at meetings, citing safety and a past fight. Reiterated that the sales tax increase reflects actual collections, not an aggressive forecast. He opposed spending fund balance without a plan and argued that the tax cap percentage matters for state rebates.
  • Councilman Luciana Howitt: Supported the police officer, stating “over my dead body” would she vote to remove security. She noted that the 485‑B abatements only apply to new taxes, not existing ones, and that development helps offset rising expenses.
  • Councilman Ed Safone: Thanked the finance team and reiterated that the use of fund balance for refuse is actually an anticipated $300,000 from the bond litigation, not a draw on savings.
• Board member Lou (name unclear) turned his time over to staff for deeper dives.
• Following responses, a motion to adopt the 2024 budget was made, seconded, and passed unanimously (all ayes).

Resolutions

• Building & Maintenance: Authorized use of room 226 at the Community Cultural Center by the Heritage Preservation Commission for two months (until February 5, 2024) to store, catalog, and scan historical documents that had been in members’ homes. The board required all boxes to be returned to town facilities by December 15, 2023.
• Bid Award: Annual maintenance contract for boilers/burners/furnaces at various town locations.
• Finance: Transferred $53,338.75 from Capital Contingency to Legal – Outside Counsel for extraordinary legal services (Bleakly Platt Schmidt).
• Police Department: Approved donation/auction of obsolete equipment (car partitions, lighting).
• Appointment: Resolution amended to appoint Fernando Dennis as permanent police officer with a start date of December 6, 2023.
• Senior Services: Authorized purchase of a dishwasher from Joseph Flynn Company.
• Town Clerk: Authorized RFPs for (1) grant services for the town, and (2) Lake Mohegan aquatic pesticide treatment.
• Town Attorney: Authorized execution of a lease amendment with New Singular Wireless PCS, authorization to apply for a NYS grant for a police vehicle, and execution of necessary documents.
• Engineer: Accepted $220,000 right‑of‑way escrow for Walgreens site improvement.
• Water Department: Approved change order #3 for Michaels Pipe Services (cement relining) for a net increase of $10,383.83.
• All resolutions were approved unanimously.

Executive Session

• The board moved into executive session at approximately 9:00 PM to discuss litigation and employment of a particular individual.

Note: Meeting minutes and agenda were not provided; summary is based solely on the raw transcript. All times and attendance are as inferred from the transcript.