The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About2024_12_18 Town Board Minutes O� 47 Town of Mamaroneck vo Town Board Minutes . n Wednesday, December 18, 2024, Courtroom, Second Floor of Town Center 5:00 PM FOUNDED 1661 PRESENT: Jaine Elkind Eney, Town Supervisor Sabrina Fiddelman, Councilmember Jeffery L. King, Councilmember Robin Nichinsky, Councilmember Anant Nambiar, Councilmember ABSENT: ALSO PRESENT: Allison May, Town Clerk Meredith S. Robson, Town Administrator William Maker Jr., Town Attorney Tracy Yogman, Town Comptroller Marc Romero, Assistant to the Town Administrator 5:00 PM THE TOWN BOARD WORK SESSION The Work Session of the Town Board was called to order by Town Supervisor Elkind Eney. Moved by Councilmember Nambiar, seconded by Councilmember Fiddelman, the Work Session unanimously opened at 5:01 p.m. WORK SESSION ITEMS 1. NEW ITEM ADDED: Discussion about the flow of Regular Meeting The Town Board discussed adjusting the agenda to prioritize the 2025 Budget discussion, followed immediately by resident comments. The Board also indicated that if a resident has something unique to say, they will allow them to speak for longer than the usual three minutes. 2. NEW ITEM ADDED: Advice of Counsel Moved by Councilmember Fiddelman, seconded by Councilmember Nambiar, the Board unanimously entered into Advice of Counsel. Carried 3. Discussion - 2024 Capital Budget Amendments Comptroller Yogman explained that the Town's portion of the Westchester Joint Water Works' (WJWW) Kenilworth project is $35,400. Councilmember Nambiar inquired about the Town's share, which the Town Comptroller clarified is proportional to the water usage in the various municipalities. Councilmember King emphasized the importance going forward for WJWW to estimate the life expectancy of all mechanical parts to improve and ensure accurate long-term planning and budgeting. Town Board December 18, 2024 4. Discussion - 2024 Operating Budget Amendments Comptroller Yogman highlighted the good news regarding budget amendments from grants the Town has received. First, the NYSERDA Clean Energy Grant Fund will roll over, allowing continued support for clean energy initiatives. Additionally, the Town has received a $10,000 grant which will be applied to pay Niki Armacost, who has been hired by the Town to assist in achieving Silver status in the New York State Climate Smart Communities program. Councilmember King inquired about how to disseminate this positive information about the grants. In response, Supervisor Elkind Eney mentioned that she includes this information in her newsletter and the Supervisor's Reports. Councilmember Nichinsky suggested that the Sustainability Collaborative (SC) should be highlighted within the community to inform them about their good works. Councilmember Fiddelman proposed featuring a different Board or Commission each month in the Supervisor's newsletter to shine a light on the Sustainability Collaborative's efforts, as well as the great work happening on other boards. 5. Discussion - Speed Humps on Colonial Avenue Administrator Robson informed the Board that the residents of Colonial Avenue have successfully gathered the required 75% of residents' signatures for a speed hump or humps on their road. Consequently, the speed hump(s) can now be installed and tested, including its impact on snow plowing operations. This initiative will be monitored for six months. The Administrator noted that although three locations were proposed, the exact location(s) will be determined at the Town Engineer's discretion. 6. Discussion - 2025 Proposed January Town Board Meeting Dates The Town Board discussed holding their January 2025 meetings on the 8th and 22nd. 7. OUT OF ORDER: Request for Executive Session Moved by Councilmember Nambiar, seconded by Councilmember Fiddelman, the Town Board agreed to enter into Executive Session to discuss the proposed acquisition, sale, or lease of real property, and the employment history of a particular person or persons. Carried Councilmember King joined meeting at 5:31pm. Moved by Councilmember King, seconded by Councilmember Nichinsky, the Town Board unanimously agreed to resume the Regular Meeting. Carried 8. Administrator's Operations Discussion 9. Updates 10. Changes to Regular Meeting Agenda 8:00 PM TOWN BOARD REGULAR MEETING The Town Board meeting convened in the Courtroom Located on the second floor at the Town Center. The Public was to view the meeting on cable access television (Optimum 76/ Fios 35) or on LMCMedia.org CALL TO ORDER The Regular Meeting of the Town Board was called to order by Supervisor Elkind Eney 8:06 p.m. The Supervisor noted that the Town Board met for a Work Session beginning at five o'clock this evening, which was open to the public. Town Board December 18, 2024 OUT OF ORDER: STAFF COMMENTS/ PRESENTATIONS Administrator Meredith Robson stated that since many of you might not be familiar with the legal requirements and the process, I'll provide an overview and highlight key points we consider during the budget process. We'll also provide the actual financials. The budget process for the Town begins in the summer. Department heads are asked to gather estimates for capital projects, such as road or sewer projects and necessary equipment. These estimates often take a long time, so we start in early July. By September, we hope to have some estimates ready. The Comptroller then compiles these into a capital plan, identifying all projects and needs. We also start discussing the operating budget with department heads. Throughout September and October, the Comptroller and I meet with department heads to review their budgets for the next year. Once these meetings are completed, it's my responsibility as Budget Officer and Town Administrator to finalize the Tentative Budget for the Town Board's consideration. This must be done by October 30th for Westchester County Towns. The Board then begins its review, often holding extensive meetings. This year, the Board had at least eight lengthy meetings to discuss the budget. After the Board makes changes, it becomes the Preliminary Budget, which is the basis for the public hearing. By law, the public hearing must be held by December 10th. The time frame to finalize the budget is compressed, and the Comptroller prepares the comprehensive budget documents. Once the Board makes final changes, they vote to adopt the Final Budget. If the Board does not adopt the Final Budget, it reverts to the Preliminary Budget by law. There are numerous legal requirements throughout the process, which ensure compliance and transparency. In addition, we also consider long-term capital needs, fund balance considerations, personnel adjustments, retirements, collective bargaining agreements, litigation, and separate funds for water and sewer. The total tax levy is the amount that needs to be raised each year after accounting for grant money, fund balance use, and other revenue. This year has been particularly challenging for the Board, as they navigate difficult decisions and prioritize needs. Every decision has an impact on the community, and there is no simple solution. The board's struggle highlights the complexity and importance of the budgeting process. The Town Administrator then introduced Comptroller Yogman to present a deck on the 2025 Budget with the actual numbers and further details. See Attachment A. Comptroller Yogman explained the changes made between the preliminary budget presentation and the budget up for consideration tonight. The final budget book is not complete yet but will be summarized as follows. The property tax levy was reduced by $400,000 due to a combination of expense reductions, income adjustments, and fund balance appropriation. Key expense adjustments include adding $30,000 to the Hommocks field maintenance, rather than spending $800,000 on a full renovation/replacement. This decision allows time to reconsider long-term field needs and seek grants for larger construction. Another notable adjustment was for the Hommock Ice Rink compressor, with an additional $45,000 added to the budget due to underestimation of the copper tubing cost, bringing the total cost to $85,000. Contractual costs also saw adjustments, including planned retirements, negotiation costs, and other various expenses. Savings were identified in some areas, but additional funds were added for vehicle repairs (since vehicles are not being replaced) and consultant fees for camp programs (which were overlooked during the Preliminary Budget). Medical insurance expenses were estimated at a 10% increase on the Preliminary Budget, consistent with the actual increases realized the past few years. Just released New York State-provided rates from NYSHIP were lower than expected, contributing to overall budget savings of $565,000. Town Board December 18, 2024 The Town had reviewed the Capital budget three times, identifying deferrals and reductions totaling $539,000. This, combined with other adjustments, reduced the overall budget by $643,000. Revenue projections for sales and mortgage taxes were increased by $200,000. The tentative budget's tax levy of $38.1 million was reduced to $34.6 million, representing an 8.61% tax levy increase. For Town residents, the tax rate increased to $9,139, an 8% increase based on higher assessed property values. Village residents saw a tax rate increase of 8.3%, with an average tax of $1,048, and a $147 annual increase. Fund balance utilization was carefully considered, with $2.2 million allocated to reduce the tax levy. This level of fund balance is the threshold to ensure sufficient cash flow to cover expenses in the first four months of the year, before tax revenues are received. The projected fund balance of $15.9 million is essential for maintaining financial stability and avoiding short-term borrowing. Overall, these budget adjustments reflect diligent efforts to reduce costs while maintaining essential services and financial health. Comptroller Yogman addressed the necessity of maintaining sufficient funds to meet obligations to the School District and County throughout the year, as the Town acts as the collecting agency for both entities. Unlike other regions where counties make towns whole, in Westchester, towns must ensure they can cover the school and county tax levies, even if all taxes are not collected within the fiscal year. This underscores the importance of a robust fund balance to manage these payments and general town expenses. The Town budget is approached with a multi-year perspective to anticipate future financial needs and avoid unexpected shortfalls. Next year will present further challenges as the Town will not have excess fund balance to reduce the tax rate, necessitating more difficult decisions. Current trends, such as leveling sales and mortgage taxes post-COVID, increasing expenses due to supply chain issues, and delayed deliveries (like fire engines), further complicate budget planning. Additionally, Town funds are restricted to specific purposes, unlike in villages or cities where funds are more flexible. For instance, highway funds can only be used for highway-related expenses, and fire district funds cannot be used for fire district purchases, complicating financial management. Administrator Robson elaborated on the complexity of town budgets compared to village or city budgets, noting that town funds are legally restricted, whereas village and city funds are typically more flexible. Comptroller Yogman then presented slides showing the distribution of taxes. For Unincorporated Town residents, school taxes make up 59% of the tax bill, county taxes 15%, and town taxes 26%. For Village of Larchmont residents, town taxes are 3% of the bill, school taxes 60%, and Village taxes 20%. Village of Mamaroneck residents have a similar distribution, with town taxes at 3%. After Comptroller Yogman had presented the overview and financial details, Supervisor Elkind Eney then opened the floor for comments and questions first from the Town Board, emphasizing that the budget, while higher than desired, reflects the necessary compromises and adjustments to manage the town's financial health effectively. Councilmember Nambiar explained that while the budget numbers are higher than desired, he felt the thorough process and focus on essential spending, particularly on community and staff safety, provide confidence in the budget. Councilmember Nambiar emphasized the importance of proactive input and the need for thoughtful and creative solutions in the coming years to manage spending and explore new revenue sources. Councilmember Nichinsky shared concerns about the tax increases and highlighted the extensive efforts to reduce this budget. Councilmember Nichinsky acknowledged the significant tax increase but stated that she believes the current budget responsibly balances various factors and serves the community's needs. Councilmember Nichinsky suggested the Town Board December 18, 2024 Town Board would use the next year to carefully examine budget drivers and explore new ways to improve and save. Supervisor Elkind Eney added that the Board had numerous meetings and made difficult decisions about expenses, prioritizing public and staff safety. Supervisor Elkind Eney noted that while the budget is higher than desired, it reflects the necessary compromises. Comptroller Yogman reiterated the seriousness with which the Board approaches spending and the tax burden on the community. Councilmember King echoed the rest of the Boards sentiments, but also emphasizing the importance of community expectations and transparency. Councilmember King highlighted the challenges of managing costs and welcomed community input and expertise in the Town's budget development process. RESIDENT COMMENTS Next, Supervisor Elkind Eney invited residents to speak, opening the floor for questions and comments from the audience. Frank Lemmons, who lives at 89 Colonial Avenue, stood and asked for clarification about the Town's annual April revenue collection. Mr. Lemmons stated why not collect the funds in January or February, maybe someone should change that. Why not collect the April funds in January or February, wouldn't that help? Supervisor Elkind Eney responded that a New York statute governs that Town taxes are collected in April. Stephen Simpkin stood next and requested clarification on what happens if the Town Board does not adopt this Final Budget. Mr. Simpkin said that if it reverts back to the Preliminary Budget automatically, it will mean that the reductions that the Board worked hard to produce get essentially erased. So, the Board would have to go back to the higher budget that most people here don't want to have adopted. Administrator Robson confirmed that this is correct. George Mrgditchian stood and addressed the Town Board next. Mr. Mrgditchian introduced himself as both a private citizen and as the President of the Orienta Point Association (OPA), representing more than 700 homes. He mentioned that OPA had received quite a few emails, and people were very concerned about the new tax increase. Mr. Mrgditchian asked what exactly the Village was paying for in the Town. He explained that residents in Orienta were questioning what overlap was costing them additional funds. Mr. Mrgditchian noted that the presentation, which he appreciated, answered most of his questions. He specifically asked if there was an overlap, such as Village of Mamaroneck residents paying for Larchmont's library too. Comptroller Yogman responded that the library budget is shared between the Village of Larchmont residents and the unincorporated Town. The library is in the Part-Town Fund, which is only chargeable to Unincorporated Town residents, not Village of Mamaroneck residents. Councilmember Fiddelman added that the Mamaroneck Library is a separate taxing entity paid for by the resident of the Village of Mamaroneck and not overlapping with the Town of Mamaroneck's Larchmont Library funding. Supervisor Elkind Eney added that Unincorporated Town residents, not all Town residents, are responsible for these payments. Mr. Mrgditchian noted that the letter did not break out specific quantities and asked for further clarification on how unspent budget funds are handled. Specifically, if a department like the Highway Department, with a budget of, say, a million dollars, only spends $800,000, what happens to the remaining $200,000? Mr. Mrgditchian questioned whether it rolls back into the budget or if the department's future budget would be adjusted to reflect the lower spending. Administrator Robson explained that it lapses back into the fund balance. It is not Town Board December 18, 2024 a 'we better use this or we're not going to get it next time' scenario. Each year, the Town looks at its needs and the Board makes the final decision about what the budget will be. They look at trends over time for those things that make sense to look at trends, but it is not one for one. If only $800,000 is spent, it does not mean only $800,000 will be allocated in next year's budget. Whatever is not spent lapses into the fund balance. Mr. Mrgditchian asked if roads and repairs fall under the Highway Department, which was confirmed by Administrator Robson. Mr. Mrgditchian then inquired about funding from New York State and Westchester County for paving and sewer repairs. Administrator Robson explained that the State provides funding through programs like CHIPS for road paving and that while the Town handles its own sewer lines, sewage is ultimately treated by Westchester County. The County budget includes funds for treatment and maintenance of main lines, but contributions to Town-specific projects are typically through grants. Mr. Mrgditchian expressed concern over the Town's fund balance of $15.9 million, noting it seemed low compared to that of the Village of Mamaroneck. Comptroller Yogman and Administrator Robson agreed, acknowledging the challenges in restoring excess funds during COVID-19 and the potential for increased tax burdens if the fund balance continues to drop. Mr. Mrgditchian emphasized the importance of managing budget requests and cutting costs to avoid further financial strain on taxpayers. He noted that everyone has a wish list and hoped for additional income next year to lessen the burden on taxpayers. Lastly, Mr. Mrgditchian thanked the Board. Supervisor Elkind Eney thanked Mr. Mrgditchian for his comments and input. Councilmember Nichinsky mentioned several grants received this year, which help keep the Town running and saves money. Sarah Kandler, who owns and rents a home on Brookside Drive while living on Fennimore Road, had recently attended a Planning Board meeting. Ms. Kandler was concerned about flooding issues and proposed collaborating with private entities for solutions. She mentioned a Winged Foot project and suggested expanding water retention pools on the alternate side of the property to mitigate flooding and eliminate the need for moving so much fill. Councilmember King highlighted the Town's recent study on flooding mitigation by H2M, noting that implementing all suggested capital improvements would cost the Town $55 million, excluding soft costs. Councilmember King emphasized the difficulty of prioritizing projects, especially with the frequency of 100-year floods in recent years. The study is available on the Town's website now. Ann Goode, a resident of the unincorporated Town, addressed the Board next, questioning the 18%-plus tax increase in the Preliminary Budget and whether the spending level was necessary. Ms. Goode recommended structural and foundational changes, expressing concerns about deferred maintenance. Administrator Robson acknowledged the need for structural changes and highlighted the importance of the fund balance. Administrator Robson mentioned that trade-offs, such as extending the life of certain vehicles, are part of the current budget. Councilmember Nichinsky emphasized the importance of examining all budget aspects, while Councilmember Fiddelman stressed balancing high service levels within budget constraints. Administrator Robson added that the Town's budget is largely driven by personnel costs, but significant reductions require cutting capital projects. Max from Larchmont Gardens appreciated the Town's focus on safety but expressed concerns about rising property values and taxes. He suggested that the Town Board consider more equitable tax assessments, noting disparities between older and newer, larger homes. He highlighted how the current disparity is causing his own budget concerns. Next, Justin Dupree inquired about the tax cap and budget projections. Supervisor Elkind Eney explained the tax cap law and the impossibility of staying within it due to New York State mandated expenses. Mr. Dupree also asked about the cost differences in project bids. Administrator Robson explained the requirements for the Town to accept the lowest responsible bidder while paying prevailing wages. The Town Administrator acknowledged that because of prevailing wages and other requirements municipalities pay much more than a resident would for a similar project. Town Board December 18, 2024 Bridget Quinn spoke next and suggested forming a Budget Committee to involve the community more in budget decisions. Ms. Quinn emphasized the impact of high taxes on different demographic groups highlighting that to ensure diversity in the Town the Town should minimize tax increases. Daniel Glickman commented next. Mr. Glickman supported the idea of a Budget or Finance Committee and discussed the need to stabilize the budget and avoid using the fund balance for day-to-day expenses. Mr. Glickman suggested reviewing the Town's financial history to understand past decisions and determine how we got to where we are. Next, Yousef Scully highlighted the high percentage of the Town's budget going to personnel costs and questioned if these could be reduced or managed over time. Administrator Robson explained that the Town is a service-oriented, people-driven organization, and cutting personnel would impact service delivery. The Town Administrator used the example of calling the Police Department. When a resident calls Town Police, they expect a person to pick up the phone. Abby Kirsh approached the podium next and asked when the Board would be discussing Colonial Avenue. The Board responded that Colonial Avenue street humps would be discussed later in the meeting, after the public hearing. Sara Gojanaj, the next to address the Board, agreed with Ms. Kirsh on the finance committee idea and suggested a procurement committee as well, to assist the Town with cost-saving initiatives. Ms. Gojanaj also recommended increasing grants, reviewing fixed costs, and creating youth committees for free research, labor, and input. Ms. Gojanaj thanked Comptroller Yogman for her various budget presentations but suggested including a slide in next year's budget presentation that explains the various funds being referenced, where those pools of money come from, and year-on-year differences. George Mrgditchian returned to the podium again to ask about the repercussions of going over the tax cap in New York State. Administrator Robson explained that there is no loss of income or really any repercussions. Next, Mr. Mrgditchian asked about the long-term sustainability of the budget and taking money from the fund balance, essentially `kicking the can down the road'. Administrator Robson promised Mr. Mrgditchian that there had been significant discussion about the fund balance during the last three or four years, as well as plenty of discussion on avoiding the use of savings for daily expenses. The Town is using fund balance for one-time, capital needs. The Town Administrator acknowledged the struggle of balancing lower taxes and not using fund balance, while the Town is striving for a structurally balanced budget. Councilmember King added that it is difficult to raise taxes while still having a large reserve of funds. Councilmember King also stressed the importance of striving for a structurally sound budget, but it will be a struggle to get there. A Town Board discussion then highlighted the need for careful budget management, community involvement, and exploring new revenue sources to alleviate the Town's financial challenges. Prior to the meeting the Town Board received written comments from Ciaran Brennan, Lexi Brine, Vincent Gerosa, Chris Gerosa, Jackie Emmet, Gretchen Eisele, Tracy Gardner, Pete Gatti, Victoria Fata, Andra Fertig, Dan Fougere, Mark Friedland and Leslie Newman, Iren Halperin, Marlene Kolbert, Brian Lobel, Siobhan Maher, Scott Magram, Chrystie Munves, Michael and Nicolina O'Rorke, Frank Paonessa. Those are included as an attachment. See Attachment B. Town Board December 18, 2024 AFFAIRS OF THE TOWN OF MAMARONECK 1. Consideration of Adoption - 2025 Town of Mamaroneck Budget and Town of Mamaroneck Fire District Budget Moved by Councilmember Nambiar, seconded by Councilmember King, it was RESOLVED that the Town Board hereby adopts the 2025 Town of Mamaroneck Budget, and the 2025 Town of Mamaroneck Fire District Budget as presented. Carried 2. Consideration of 2024 Capital Budget Amendments Moved by Councilmember King, seconded by Councilmember Nichinsky, it was RESOLVED that the Town Board hereby authorizes the Comptroller to make the necessary budget amendments, as presented. Carried 3. Consideration of 2024 Operating Budget Amendments Moved by Councilmember Nichinsky, seconded by Councilmember Fiddelman, it was RESOLVED that the Town Board hereby authorizes the Comptroller to make the necessary operating budget amendments, as presented. Carried 4. Consideration of Speed Humps on Colonial Avenue Administrator Robson explained that this consideration is the culmination of many months of work. First, the Town developed a new speed hump policy. Subsequently, after the Traffic Committee and staff reviewed the situation on Colonial Avenue and recommended a speed hump or humps. All the criteria in the Town's policy have been met now on Colonial Avenue. Temporary speed humps are ready to be installed pending approval of the speed hump(s) on Colonial Avenue. Three locations met the criteria, but the actual location(s) will be at the discretion of the Town Engineer. The test will last for six months. Frank Lemmons of Colonial Avenue voiced his thoughts on the Town's speed hump policy. First, he thought Colonial is a collective road. Mr. Lemmons voiced his opposition to the installation of speed humps on Colonial Avenue, arguing that all other feasible solutions, such as stop signs, should be exhausted first. Mr. Lemmons mentioned that he and others are opposed to speed humps. Holly Hart, another resident of Colonial Avenue, voiced her opposition to the speed humps, saying that they do more harm than good. Cars avoid them by going around the speed humps and there are no sidewalks on Colonial. Ms. Hart recounted her father's decades-long advocacy for sidewalks, emphasizing their importance over speed humps. Supervisor Elkind Eney informed Ms. Hart that a sidewalk project is in progress from Weaver Street to Daymon Terrace, with the timeline contingent on the finalization of grants with New York State. The Town is currently finalizing the grant agreements, then once the contracts are secured, the project timeline will be clarified. Next, Marcy Wrobel, of Colonial Avenue, discussed her research on speed humps, noting that some circulating anti-speed hump information is outdated and comes from radar monitor contractors. Ms. Wrobel cited Boston's initiative to install speed humps on 100 miles of small streets without impeding parking and inquired about several technical details regarding the new speed hump policy. Town Board December 18, 2024 Administrator Robson stated that the Town Engineer could provide answers to her technical questions. The Traffic Committee, staff and the Town Board discussed this at length and developed a policy that included temporary speed humps. Administrator Robson mentioned that the Town's new policy allows for temporary speed humps to be evaluated over a six-month period, only once all the requirements were met. Lance Widener, a resident of the Town at the intersection of Daymon and Colonial, acknowledged the controversy over speed humps and shared his experience moving to the area during the height of COVID-19. Mr. Widener emphasized the need for solutions to improve safety in his area, highlighting how full-time police presence at the corner was not budgetarily feasible and neither are radars or speed cameras. Mr. Widener reiterated that his neighbors had garnered the required 75% support from area residents in support of the speed hump and Mr. Widener expressed his groups' openness to offering further support on improvements. Moved by Councilmember Nambiar, seconded by Councilmember Fiddelman, it was RESOLVED that the Town Board hereby approves installation of speed humps on Colonial Avenue and hereby authorizes the monitoring and evaluation of the temporary speed hump conditions to determine the appropriateness of permanent installation in the future. Carried 5. Consideration of 2025 Proposed January Town Board Meeting Dates Moved by Councilmember Fiddelman, seconded by Councilmember Nambiar, it was RESOLVED that the Town Board hereby approves the January Town Board meetings of January 8th and January 22nd and establishes the January 8th meeting as the 2025 organizational meeting. Carried 6. Management and Non-Union 2025 Salaries Moved by Councilmember Nambiar, seconded by Councilmember King, it was RESOLVED that the Town Board hereby authorizes the 2025 Management and Non-Union Salary Schedule, as presented. Carried REPORTS OF MINUTES 1. Report of Minutes of May 17, 2023, and December 4, 2024. Moved by Councilmember King, seconded by Councilmember Nambiar, it was RESOLVED that the Town Board hereby approves the minutes of May 17, 2023, and December 4, 2024. Carried SUPERVISOR'S REPORT Great news for the Town! Today, the Town received a $2.9 million grant from Westchester County for a roundabout project. The roundabout will be located at the busy intersection of I- 95 on/off ramps, New Jefferson Street, Madison Avenue, and 5th Avenue. This project aims to improve traffic, pedestrian, and bicycle safety, provide flood mitigation, reduce air pollution, and enhance connectivity to New Rochelle, the business district of Larchmont, and the Metro-North train station. Additionally, it will create an attractive entrance to our Town, potentially spurring economic growth along the Fifth Avenue corridor. With the $2 million in congressionally directed funds, the infrastructure project will be fully funded by grants. Town Board December 18, 2024 Congratulations are in order for the Town of Mamaroneck Police Department, which received accreditation from the New York State Law Enforcement Accreditation Program. This recognition highlights the department's commitment to maintaining the highest standards of professionalism, accountability, and service to the community. Only 30% of all law enforcement agencies in the state have received this accreditation. On behalf of the Town and the Town Board, I want to congratulate Chief Creazzo and his entire team for this prestigious recognition. On December 5, I attended the Town Christmas Tree Lighting at the Hommocks Park Ice Rink with Sabrina and Robin. It was a wonderful event, the first of its kind. I have to thank the Recreation staff who worked hard to make the area beautiful, despite the challenging weather conditions. Their efforts made the event a success. Also on December 5, I attended the 42nd Annual Westchester County Senior Hall of Fame Awards luncheon with Meredith and Senior Center Coordinator Stephanie Lobo. Our Town's awardee, Joanne Clementone, has dedicated her life to helping adults and adolescents find the confidence and resources they need to become independent members of society. Even at 80 years old, Joanne continues to serve the community by delivering meals to homebound seniors, books to shut-ins, and driving neighbors to church. We congratulate Joanne on this accomplishment. On December 10, Sabrina and I attended a Summit where Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins was the guest speaker. He gave an informative presentation and fielded questions from the audience. I found him incredibly impressive. Later that day, I attended Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Training with Sabrina. On December 12, I attended the Westchester Municipal Officials Association (WMOA) meeting with Sabrina. County Executive George Latimer was the speaker, and it was great to hear him before he assumes his next role as our Congressman. On December 16, I spoke to Daisy Troop 1850 about the Town of Mamaroneck. I enjoyed discussing my role and the roles of others in the Town, and the troop asked great questions. Two upcoming events to note: The Waverly Avenue Bridge is finally done, and the Town is hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate its completion this Friday, December 20, at 10:30. Members of the public are encouraged to attend, including representatives from Westchester County, State officials, and the Village of Mamaroneck. The bridge project exemplifies the collaboration of various government levels and includes flood mitigation measures. Please be aware that the bridge will be closed for the ribbon-cutting from about 10:00 to 11 :30. Also, on December 26, the Town will host its first-ever Town Menorah Lighting at the Hommocks Park Ice Rink from 3:45 to 4:15, followed by free ice skating from 4:15 to 5:15. I wish everyone a joyous holiday season and a happy, healthy 2025 filled with love, laughter, and peace. BOARD OF FIRE COMMISSIONERS 1. Call to Order Commissioner Elkind Eney called the Meeting to order, then on motion of Commissioner Fiddelman and seconded by Commissioner King, the Board of Fire Commissioners was unanimously declared open. Present were the following Members of the Commission: Commissioner: Jaine Elkind Eney Commissioner: Sabrina Fiddelman Commissioner: Jeffery L. King Commissioner: Robin Nichinsky Commissioner: Anant Nambiar Town Board December 18, 2024 2. Fire Claims 12-18-24 Moved by Commissioner King, seconded by Commissioner Nambiar, it was RESOLVED that the Board of Fire Commissioners hereby approves the attached list of fire claims in the amount of$10,541.03. Carried 3. Other Fire Department Business There being no further business to come before the Fire Commission, on motion of Commissioner King, Seconded by Commissioner Nambiar, the Commission unanimously adjourned and the Town Board reconvened. REPORTS OF THE COUNCIL Councilmember Nambiar • Able to participate in a few of the events that Jaine just mentioned. Attended the DEI training, which I thought was great. • Enjoyed the Christmas Tree Lighting, as well, and the free skate with the kids. • Attended the December 11th Planning Board meeting, which was very eventful. A multifamily development is in front of the Planning Board right now, and it is great to see the community come out and ask good questions and important topics. Discussions about that development will be continued at next month's meeting, on January 15th, along with a couple other important, difficult conversations about some private house developments. Councilmember Fiddelman • Attended the implicit bias training led by Larchmont resident Helen Horsham Bertels, who I thank very much. She did a wonderful job. There were four sessions, and a lot of the staff attended. She raised some really thoughtful issues. Staff took the training and the time together seriously, and I hope that it leads us all making good decisions moving down the road. • On the 11th, attended the Ethics Committee's annual meeting. I am happy to point out that our Ethics Committee is not called on to meet very frequently. Grateful to all the people who work and volunteer in this community, and to the Ethics Board, for being there when we need them. • Did not attend the Library Board meeting because they were in executive session hiring a new executive director. And you'll hear more about that in the coming days and weeks. Would like to remind people that the library is closed on Tuesday and Wednesday, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and the same Tuesday and Wednesday, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. • Also attended the WMOA, as did a bunch of us. And I just wanted to thank Meredith, Rich Polcari and Alli May because they talked about OpenGov records keeping and how we have been automating our permitting and licensing and records management and that you heard about a grant that we've received for record increasing the records management from paper to electronic. The Town seems to be in the forefront of digitizing our records which will allow them to be saved and accessed most efficiently going forward. And we're very proud that people at the WMOA were very interested in what we're doing and hearing about how they could get involved in automating their permits and licenses. • Wish everybody a very happy holiday season, no matter what you celebrate. And please be safe. It's a time when people travel, and people drink. Just please don't drink and drive and please be very careful. Have a healthy and happy holiday season. Councilmember King • As a child, I was told that Christmas only comes around once a year. And I believed that until I happened to see our esteemed legal counsel drop a Christmas card in the mailbox Town Board December 18, 2024 for Santa, and lo and behold, what happened. Juan Soto signed with the New York Mets for a staggering $765 million! So that just goes to show that Christmas does occasionally happen twice a year. So, I want to congratulate the Town Attorney, and ask if he has any connections, since we are talking about the budget this evening, maybe you could persuade Mr. Soto to become a resident, at the very least. • Would like to wish everyone a safe and healthy holiday season. Enjoy the family, enjoy friends, and please enjoy the season. Councilmember Nichinsky • Enjoyed the Town's tree lighting ceremony. • Attended the Town's DEI training with Anant, and thought it was informative and interesting for both the staff and the Board. TOWN CLERK'S REPORT Wished everyone a safe and happy holiday season. TOWN ATTORNEY'S REPORT Wished everyone a happy holiday. TOWN ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT Administrator Robson expressed gratitude to the Town Board for their hard work and thoughtful discussions regarding the 2025 budget. The Administrator also thanked the entire Town staff, highlighting Tracy Yogman, Town Comptroller, for her hard work on the budget. The Town Administrator acknowledged everyone's contributions and thanked them all for their commitment to the budget process. ADJOURNMENT Moved by Councilmember Fiddelman, seconded by Councilmember Nambiar, the meeting was unanimously adjourned at 9:47 pm. Carried NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING - January 8, 2025 Submitted by Allison May, Town Clerk Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment A , .,24.'•. .4:-:.' ...4.....fr-1, .- , t ..4,- „ . ,, ,..i ' _. . ' a# r * Fr T��1 e ic 4 Town of Mamaroneck. , � ' 2025 Budget Propose _ , _ .; iir 1 for Adoption AP 110' ' il- A �i 1 /1 Ill 1 it,k, ...' public Hearing December 18, 2024 ' r ' I + FORADOPTION $ (428,200) ➢ Property Tax Levy i ➢ Field Maintenance Reimbursement 22,000 ➢ Appropriated Fund Balance (242,000) Total Revenue Decrease $ i648,2001 j ➢ Contractual-Field Maintenance 30,000 ➢ Contractual-Ice Rink Compressor Repair 45,000 ➢ Contractual-Other/Equipment 381,932 ➢ Medical Ins rate decrease (565,932) ➢ Capital Projects (539,200) Total Expense Increase '$ 1648,200] 2 Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment A (Cont'd) ' 1 1 1 ' I , ' 1 ' I I , 1 I ' I _ ' ' MIN ' ' YB DGE 1 BAD 1 ' I 1 Tentative Budget Tax $38,132,800 Deferred Capital Projects ($562,000) Eliminated Capital Projects (462,200) Operating Budget Reductions (186,361) i Increased Sales/Mortgage Tax (200,000) Total Budget Reductions ($1,410,561) $36,722,239 Appropriated Additional Fund Balance (2,088,739) Adopted Budget Tax $34,633,500 2025 LEVY and TAX TOWN RESIDENTS Average Assessed Value = 2024 2025 2025 2025 $1,651,000 ADOPTED : TENTATIVE PRELIMINARY UPDATED BUDGET BUDGET BUDGET PRELIMINAR ' BUDGET TAX LEVY $31,887,970 $38,132,800 $35,061,700 $34,633,500 TAX LEVY INCREASE° 5.66% 19.58% 9.95% 8.61% TAX RATE 5.487731 6.030784 5.614252 5.535331 TAX RATE % (2.00%) 9.90% 2.31% .87% Increasei(Decrease) Tax for Average Home $8,435 $9,957 $9,269 $9,139 Tax Increase for Average $550 $1,522 $834 $704 Home Tax Increase 6.98% 18.05% 9.89% 8.34% 4 Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment A (Cont'd) VILLAGE RESIDENTS General Fund (Al and d Ambulance_ ISM verage Assessed Value Or 2024 2025 2025 2025 51,651,000 ADOPTS TENTATIVE PRELIMINAR . UPDATED BUDGE, BUDGET BUDGET PRELIMINARY BUDGET TAX RATE .586258 .749150 .634629 .634910 TAX RATE % Increase (2.2%) 27.78% 8.25% 8.3% Tax for Average Home $901 $1,237 $1,048 $1,048 Tax Increase for Average $57 $336 $147 $147 Home Tax Increase 6.79% 37.26% 16.3% 16.3% s UPDATED FUND BALANCE Fund balance @ 1/1/24 per Audited Financial Statements $19.1 million 2024 Projected Net Results (1.0) million Projected Fund Balance @ 12/31/24 $18.1 million 2025 Adopted Budget Use of Fund Balance ($2.2 million) Projected Fund Balance @ 12/31/25 $ 15.9 million The Town needs 3-4 months of Expense Budget $55.7 million = $14-18 million to pay bills until tax revenue is collected in April each year. Fund Balance = Cash, Receivables, Prepaid expenses less accounts payable, liabilities Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment A (Cont'd) AVERAGE TAX BILLS_ Sewer District} VILLAGE LARCHMONT RESIDENT TOWN RESIDENTS {Mamaroneck Town Taxes AVERAGE TOTAL TAXES$34,902 AVERAGE TOTAL TAXES$35,358 $1•6°e Village sates Count,Taxes Town Tex!$ 56,990 56,012 59,139 20% "" .� 17% 26% 4,0, ,.,_ A�;t L 3 school ,,...,. 20,Taxer 1 52Q,661 `w,.- County Tines - 59% ------- -_ ---- 55,357 klrod Taxes 15% 621862 60% VILLAGE MAMARONECK RESIDENT AVERAGE TOTAL TAXES$35,020 Town Taxes Unexc Taxes 51.,0a9 Cwn[r Taxes $1,1$3 3% $5,351 ItX ,,,7 15% I,:a . XfwM Taxes 520.AU 60% Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment A (Cont'd) TOWN OF .s, MA_ _ MARONECK NEW YORK 2025 TOWN BUDGET REVIEW Concerns have been expressed by taxpayers in our community about this year's proposed tax increases. The purpose of this letter is to explain our budget process and address these concerns so our taxpayers have a better understanding of the reasons for these proposed increases. The Town of Mamaroneck began its budget process in July of this year, including meeting with every department within the Town to assess our needs for the coming year. Since that time,the Town produced both the Tentative and Preliminary Budgets. After significant initial reductions, the proposed Preliminary Budget was the subject of a public hearing on December 4,2024. After hearing from the public,the Town Board met on December 10th,and the budget was reduced further by nearly $494,000. Refurbishment of the Hommocks grass fields was also postponed in favor of an enhanced maintenance program to maintain the fields on an interim basis while we continue to study the issue.The final budget will be voted on at the Town Board meeting on Wednesday,December 18th. Budgeting this year has been challenging. Our Town government is responsible for the provision of services to all residents across a wide range of ages,service needs and economic realities. The Town prepares a five-year capital plan that identifies the expected infrastructure, building and equipment needs, to protect the community from huge, unanticipated swings in these areas in any given year.To limit our 2025 spending to essential projects,we have primarily focused on community&staff safety,while meeting our legal and contractual obligations. Many taxpayer concerns about safety have been addressed in this budget, such as safety improvements on Colonial Avenue and Weaver Street near the Leatherstocking Trail. Flooding remains a major concern in our community,and our capital plan contains improvements to address these concerns,as well as designs this year to incorporate recommendations of the Stormwater Survey we commissioned in 2024 through grants.Recognizing the financial burdens incurred by our taxpayers,we constantly seek outside funding sources such as grants.In 2024, the Town was awarded approximately$10.5 million in grant funding and is waiting to hear about$5.4 million more. Many of these grants require matching funds and/or follow-up,such as the Stormwater Study.We have also had to repair aging infrastructure,such as the decades-old valve system at the Reservoir that required one major repair in 2024 but may not withstand another major storm,so we are replacing it in 2025.We need to prepare our community for the increasing number of climate-related catastrophes we face each year.Supply-chain issues also continue to affect the replacement of our aging equipment. However,the primary driver of budget increases is the mandatory expenses we face each year of approximately$52 million-about 93%of the budget--for such things as contractual obligations,debt service,Town staff payroll and benefit costs.This leaves very little discretionary spending that can be reduced.These mandatory expenses have been rising at a faster pace than revenues,leading to difficult decisions balancing our needs for essential services and keeping the budget as low as possible. The 2025 budget also appropriates $2.5 million of fund balance ("reserves") into our operating budget in order to help fund these expenses--the maximum the Town can utilize without negatively impacting our cash flow and our ability to pay our bills in the first quarter of 2025 before tax revenue is received.An incorrect statement has also been made that we are raising taxes to keep our future fund balances high in order to maintain our current Aaa bond rating.Though it is not a specific objective of the proposed 2025 budget,maintaining the Town's Aaa rating is a benefit of our strong financial discipline over the past years,and will continue to result in significant savings in interest rates on bonds and in other matters. Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment A (Cont'd) As a result of numerous discussions and careful consideration,pending final decisions by the Town Board,the Final Proposed 2025 Budget will be $55,750,512. As noted,this reflects additional reductions made after the Public Hearing on December 4th.The average home value,which is the value we use to show the tax impact of each budget, is$1,651,000. Based on this average home value,Town taxes for residents in the unincorporated area will rise by $704 for the year and Town taxes for residents in the villages will rise by$147 for the year. As illustrated in the pie charts below,the Town's taxes represent only 26%of the total real estate tax bill for residents of the unincorporated area and 3%of the total real estate tax bill for residents of the villages. Homes with higher values will incur greater tax obligations and,conversely,homes with lower values than the average will incur lower tax obligations. TOWN RESIDENTS (Mamaroneck Sewer District) AVERAGE TOTAL TAXES 535,35E Tana Tame 4139 WNW2f% bd Tales $20.592 Cam",TAWS 59% $9.551 15% VILLAGE LARCNMONT RESIDENT Tmew Tales AVERAGE TOTAL TAXES$34,902 Slams Wise Taxes - ca,nryTaies 21411110 7 had Tales S20.OR 606 VILLAGE MAMARONECK RESIDENT AVERAGE TOTAL TAXES$35,020 T.w Tales WNW Tams S1,0 Caenty TAM S�TST s% %352 2a 1S% School Times Snae2 s0% It is also important to recognize the budget prepared for this year cannot be considered in a vacuum.The 2025 Town Budget represents a multi-year approach to meeting the statutory,safety and quality of life needs of our community, while protecting financial stability. We serve a diverse community, and provide not only services to the unincorporated area, but also to residents in both villages, such as assessment, tax collection, recreation (including our fields, parks, ice rink, pool, camps,programs and more),senior services, ambulance services and the majority of the costs for the Larchmont Library. In recent years, particular focus has been paid to needs such as flood mitigation, public safety equipment and repairs,pedestrian safety improvements and a variety of critical equipment replacements. We believe these things to be critical to maintain our quality of life in this wonderful community and will always seek efficiencies wherever we can.While no budget process is perfect,this year's proposed budget is the result of an intensive and serious deliberative process that incorporates input from the community, as well as Town administrators and the Board. We believe it fairly addresses the needs and priorities of our cherished community for the years to come. The Mamaroneck Town Board Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B May, Allison From: Gretchen Eisele Sent: Wednesday, December 18,2024 4:08 PM To: May,Allison Cc: Tom Eaton Subject: 2025 Budget Hello town board members, I share the alarm felt by many in our community about the tax increase for 2025. I appreciate that you have taken the time to review the proposed increase and reduce the size. However,it feels like the residents of the town deserve more transparency,and more time to understand the spiraling costs in our community and react. With 93%of the budget going to mandatory expenses-it's time to do a deep dive on those. Where and how can we see a breakdown of the payroll and benefits the community is carrying? What are these contractural obligations? I have never sent in comments or interjected myself into the budget before so forgive me if these are things I should know how to find. I don't know where to see any detailed budget and most people in the community don't,and given that these costs are rising at unsustainable rates it feels like time to share/raise awareness with the community so we can weigh in. For one thing perhaps it's time to re-evaluate if we need to have two police departments and three fire stations in Larchmont/Mamaroneck. Thank you for your consideration and for the work you do for the town. Best, Gretchen Eisele Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) May, Allison From: Tracy gardner Sent: Wednesday, December 18,2024 5:24 PM To: May,Allison Subject: Budget 2025 Dear recipient, Season's greetings! I am writing today to express my concern regarding the Mamaroneck budget. I have several questions and concerns about not only the size of the budget but also the proposed increases,which seem to primarily focus on obligations rather than infrastructure and projects that would directly benefit Mamaroneck residents. It's alarming that the budget would have been approved if not for the recent op- ed piece. No business or entity can sustain a 10 percent budget increase. I've outlined some key questions and discussion points below for the upcoming Town Board meeting: **Town of Mamaroneck 2025 Budget: Key Questions and Discussion Points** **Introduction** While the Town of Mamaroneck's proposed 2025 budget has reduced the tax levy increase from 10%to 3.75%, it's essential to understand the specific drivers of this increase and ensure its alignment with community needs and priorities. **Key Concerns** * **Exceeding the Tax Cap:**The 3.75%tax levy increase exceeds the state-mandated 2%cap. Clarification is needed on the justification for exceeding the cap and any utilized exemptions. ***Transparency in Spending:**A detailed breakdown of spending by category is necessary for a comprehensive understanding of tax dollar allocation. ***Long-Term Financial Planning:** Understanding the Town's long-term financial plan and how it addresses issues like increasing pension obligations and infrastructure needs is crucial. **Key Questions for the Town Board Meeting** **General Budget Questions** *What are the primary drivers of the proposed tax increase? *How does the Town's budget growth compare to similar towns? *What measures are being taken to ensure long-term financial sustainability? 0 **Specific Questions (based on the outline)** *Can you provide a breakdown of salary and wage increases by department? *What factors have contributed to fluctuations in legal fees? *What types of consulting services has the Town utilized? * How are infrastructure and capital projects prioritized when 92%of the budget is fixed? *Why is there a lack of transparency?We need to address the fixed costs and allow the community to weigh in. **Questions about the Tax Cap** *Why is the Town exceeding the 2%tax cap? *What exemptions are being utilized, if any? Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) *What measures are being taken to mitigate the impact on taxpayers? Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. I look forward to hearing more about the budget at the Town Board meeting. Sincerely, Tracy Gardner 2 Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) May, Allison From: Eney,Jaine Elkind Sent: Monday, December 16,2024 3:41 PM To: Cc: May,Allison; Anant Nambiar; Fiddelman, Sabrina; Nichinsky, Robin; King,Jeffery;Cc: Vincent Gerosa Subject: Re:Tax increase and Hommocks Fields Attachments: 2025 Town Budget Review.docx Dear Chris Gerosa, Thank you for your email. Please see attached 2025 Town Budget Review for discussion of the Town Budget. Best, Jaine Jaine Elkind Eney Supervisor Town of Mamaroneck 740 West Boston Post Road Mamaroneck, NY 10543 (914)381-7805 supervisor(@townofmamaroneckny.gov I Sign up for Town alerts and notifications! CLICK HERE From:Chris Gerosa Sent:Wednesday, December 11,2024 12:47 PM To: Eney,Jaine Elkind<Supervisor@townofmamaroneckny.gov>; Anant Nambiar <ANambiar@townofmamaroneckny.gov>; Fiddelman,Sabrina<SFiddelman@townofmamaroneckny.gov>; King,Jeffery <JKing@townofmamaroneckny.org>; Nichinsky, Robin<RNichinsky@townofmamaroneckny.gov> Cc:Vincent Gerosa ; Chris Gerosa Subject:Tax increase and Hommocks Fields To the Town of Mamaroneck Supervisor and Members of the Town Council: As a 17-year resident, I am asking you to reconsider the incredibly large tax increase of over 15%for Village of Larchmont and Village of Mamaroneck(as well as 8.4%increase for unincorporated areas).To echo the letter sent by Marlene Kolbert, Former President of the Mamaroneck School Board, and former Village of Larchmont Trustee, I too find these numbers "staggering and unconscionable." Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) I find one portion of the budget particularly troubling. Given our current situation of limited field space for our ever growing student population,the almost$1 million allocated for a one-time (not sustainable) improvement to the fields behind Hommocks, of which students are only allowed a tiny patch of field for very limited use, does not seem a wise or fair use of taxpayer money.Why should taxpayers pay for improvements to fields that do not even benefit our own students?To add insult to injury, I know that there was a grant proposed by Fields for Kids to turf a section of these fields to make them more usable and sustainable, a solution COST FREE TO TAXPAYERS,that was rejected by the Town of Mamaroneck. Please explain the rationale of rejecting that grant. Please do not raise our taxes by over 15%, in part to pay for fields that we barely get to use for our middle school students. If you are going to improve the fields,which we desperately need, please take advantage of proposed Fields for Kids grant money if still possible, and turf at least a portion of the fields to make them more sustainable and consistently usable. No matter what happens with the budget and Hommocks fields, please ALLOW THE FIELDS TO BE USED by the middle school that sits by those fields 5 days a week and year-round for recess,gym, and after school.There are other categories of concern, but overall I find the unprecedentedly large and sudden tax increase,with very little notice to taxpayers,to be very troubling indeed. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Chris Gerosa Village of Larchmont Resident and parent of a 3, including a Hommocks Middle School Student 2 • Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) May, Allison From: Eney,Jaine Elkind Sent: Monday, December 16, 2024 3:50 PM To: Town Board Members; May,Allison; Meredith Robson;Yogman,Tracy Subject: Re:Tax increases Attachments: 2025 Town Budget Review.pdf Dear Ms. Fata, Thank you for your email. Please see the attached 2025 Town Budget Review for discussion of the Town Budget. Best, Jaine Jaine Elkind Eney Supervisor Town of Mamaroneck 740 West Boston Post Road Mamaroneck, NY 10543 (914)381-7805 supervisor((townofmamaroneckny.gov Sian up for Town alerts and notifications! CLICK HERE From:Eney,Jaine Elkind<Supervisor@townofmamaroneckny.gov> Sent:Thursday, December 12,2024 6:01 AM To:Town Board Members<TownBoardMembers@townofmamaroneckny.gov>; May,Allison <AMay@townofmamaroneckny.gov>; Meredith Robson<MRobson@townofmamaroneckny.gov>;Yogman,Tracy <TYogman@townofmamaroneckny.gov> Subject: Fw:Tax increases Get Outlook for iOS From:Victoria Fata Sent:Thursday, December 12, 2024 8:57 AM To: Eney,Jaine Elkind <Supervisor@townofmamaroneckny.gov> Subject:Tax increases Good morning, Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) Your budget proposal is irresponsible.You need to go back and start over. Especially the VOM residents who do not receive any services from the town, should not be expected to foot the bill for your irresponsible spending. Do better Mamaroneck! Stop talking about affordable housing then raising our taxes above the cap!You all should be ashamed of yourselves! Sincerely, Victoria Fata VOM resident • Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) U May,Allison From: Brian Lobel < Sent: Monday, December 16,2024 3:50 PM To: Eney,Jaine Elkind; Fiddelman,Sabrina;King,Jeffery;Anant Nambiar;Nichinsky,Robin Cc: Meredith Robson;Yogman,Tracy;May,Allison Subject: Re:2025 Town Budget Review Missing from the"notice"is any mention of 1)consultation with a finance committee and 2)restructuring to reduce costs.As Ernie said,we can do better. Sent from Yahoo Malt for iPad Begin forwarded message: On Monday, December 16,2024,3:25 PM,The Mamaroneck Town Board <alerts@civicready.com>wrote: Alert Sent On: 1 2/1 6/2024 03:25:03 PM EST Concerns have been expressed by taxpayers in our community about this year's proposed tax increases.The purpose of this letter is to explain our budget process and address these concerns so our taxpayers have a bette understanding of the reasons for these proposed increases. The Town of Mamaroneck began its budget process in July of this year,including meeting with every department within the Town to assess our needs for the coming year. Since that time,the Town produced both the Tentative and Preliminary Budgets.After significant initial reductions,the proposed Preliminary Budget was the subject of public hearing on December 4,2024. After hearing from the public,the Town Board met on December 10th,and the budget was reduced further by nearly$494,000.Refurbishment of the Hommocks grass fields was also postponed in favor of an enhanced maintenance program to maintain the fields on an interim basis while we continue to study the issue.The final budget will be voted on at the Town Board meeting on Wednesday, December 18'h. Budgeting this year has been challenging.Our Town government is responsible for the provision of services to all residents across a wide range of ages,service needs and economic realities. The Town prepares a five-year capital plan that identifies the expected infrastructure,building and equipment needs,to protect the community t Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) from huge,unanticipated swings in these areas in any given year.To limit our 2025 spending to essential project: we have primarily focused on community&staff safety,while meeting our legal and contractual obligations. Many taxpayer concerns about safety have been addressed in this budget,such as safety improvements on Colonial Avenue and Weaver Street near the LeatherstockingTrail.Flooding remains a major concern in our community,and our capital plan contains improvements to address these concerns,as well as designs this year to incorporate recommendations of the Stormwater Survey we commissioned in 2024 through grants.Recognizii the financial burdens incurred by our taxpayers,we constantly seek outside funding sources such as grants.In 2024,the Town was awarded approximately$10.5 million in grant funding and is waiting to hear about$5.4 millic more. Many of these grants require matching funds and/or follow-up,such as the Stormwater Study.We have al had to repair aging infrastructure,such as the decades-old valve system at the Reservoir that required one major repair in 2024 but may not withstand another major storm,so we are replacing it in 2025.We need to prepare our community for the increasing number of climate-related catastrophes we face each year.Supply-chain issues also continue to affect the replacement of our aging equipment. However,the primary driver of budget increases is the mandatory expenses we face each year of approximately $52 million—about 93%of the budget--for such things as contractual obligations,debt service,Town staff payrc and benefit costs.This leaves very little discretionary spending that can be reduced.These mandatory expenses have been rising at a faster pace than revenues,leading to difficult decisions balancing our needs for essential services and keeping the budget as low as possible.The 2025 budget also appropriates$2.5 million of fund balance("reserves")into our operating budget in order to help fund these expenses--the maximum the Town ca utilize without negatively impacting our cash flow and our ability to pay our bills in the first quarter of 2025 before tax revenue is received.An incorrect statement has also been made that we are raising taxes to keep our future fund balances high in order to maintain our current Aaa bond rating.Though it is not a specific objective of the proposed 2025 budget,maintaining the Town's Aaa rating is a benefit of our strong financial discipline over the past years,and will continue to result in significant savings in interest rates on bonds and in other matters. As a result of numerous discussions and careful consideration,pending final decisions by the Town Board,the Final Proposed 2025 Budget will be$55,750,512. As noted,this reflects additional reductions made after the Public Hearing on December 4`".The average home value,which is the value we use to show the tax impact of each budget,is$1,651,000. Based on this average home value,Town taxes for residents in the unincorporated area will rise by$704 for the year and Town taxes for residents in the villages will rise by$147 for the year. As illustrated in the pie charts below,the Town's taxes represent only 26%of the total real estate tax bill for residen of the unincorporated area and 3%of the total real estate tax bill for residents of the villages. Homes with higher values will incur greater tax obligations and,conversely,homes with lower values than the average will incur Low tax obligations. 2 Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) • It is also important to recognize the budget prepared for this year cannot be considered in a vacuum.The 2025 Town Budget represents a multi-year approach to meeting the statutory,safety and quality of life needs of our community,while protecting financial stability.We serve a diverse community,and provide not only services to the unincorporated area,but also to residents in both villages,such as assessment,tax collection,recreation (including our fields,parks,ice rink,pool,camps,programs and more),senior services,ambulance services and the majority of the costs for the Larchmont Library. In recent years,particular focus has been paid to needs such as flood mitigation,public safety equipment and repairs,pedestrian safety improvements and a variety of critical equipment replacements. We believe these things to be critical to maintain our quality of life in this wonderful community and will always seek efficiencies wherever we can.While no budget process is perfect,this year's proposed budget is the result of an intensive an serious deliberative process that incorporates input from the community,as well as Town administrators and thi Board.We believe it fairly addresses the needs and priorities of our cherished community for the years to come. 3 Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) The Mamaroneck Town Board View message in browser This message was sent by Mamaroneck, NY If you no longer wish to receive these emails,please Unsubscribe. 4 Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) May, Allison From: Eney,Jaine Elkind Sent: Monday, December 16, 2024 3:53 PM To: Iren ELH Cc: Town Board Members; May,Allison Subject: Re: Proposed tax increases Attachments: 2025 Town Budget Review.pdf Dear Ms. Halperin, Thank you for your email. Please see the attached 2025 Town Budget Review for discussion of the Town Budget. Best, Jaine Jaine Elkind Eney Supervisor Town of Mamaroneck 740 West Boston Post Road Mamaroneck, NY 10543 (914)381-7805 supervisor@ townofmamaronecknlr.gov Skin up for Town alerts and notifications! CLICK HERE From:Iren EL Sent:Thursday,December 12,2024 8:22 AM To: Eney,Jaine Elkind<Supervisor@townofmamaroneckny.gov> Subject:Proposed tax increases As a 26-year resident and a widow, I am urging you to reconsider the significant tax increase of over 15% for the Village of Larchmont and Village of Mamaroneck, as well as the 8.4% increase for unincorporated areas. Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) One aspect of the budget is particularly concerning. With our limited field space and an ever-growing student population, allocating nearly $1 million for a one-time improvement to the fields behind Hommocks—where students are allowed access to only a small patch for very limited use seems neither a wise nor fair use of taxpayer funds. Why should taxpayers finance improvements to fields that provide little to no benefit to our students? Adding to the frustration, I am aware of a grant proposal from Fields for Kids to turf a section of these fields, a solution that would have been entirely cost-free to taxpayers, but this proposal was rejected by the Town of Mamaroneck. Could you please explain the rationale behind rejecting this grant? Please reconsider the proposed tax hike of over 15%, especially if it partially funds improvements to fields that our middle school students barely get to use. If field 2 Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) improvements are necessary, I strongly urge you to revisit the Fields for Kids grant, if still available, and consider turfing at least a portion of the fields to make them more sustainable and consistently usable. Iren Halperin Iren Halperin Sent from my iPhone 3 Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) May, Allison From: Eney,Jaine El kind Sent: Monday, December 16,2024 3:56 PM To: Ciaran Brennan Cc: Nichinsky, Robin; King,Jeffery;Fiddelman,Sabrina;Anant Nambiar;May,Allison Subject: Re:Proposed Tax Increase Attachments: 2025 Town Budget Review.pdf Dear Ciaran Brennan, Thankyou for your email. Please see the attached 2025 Town Budget Review for discussion of the Town Budget. Best, Jaine Jaine Elkind Eney Supervisor Town of Mamaroneck 740 West Boston Post Road Mamaroneck, NY 10543 (914)381-7805 supervisorPtownofmamaroneckny.gov Skin up for Town alerts and notifications! CLICK HERE From:Ciaran Brennan Sent:Thursday, December 12,2024 10:46 AM To:Nichinsky,Robin<RNichinsky@townofmamaroneckny.gov>; King,Jeffery<JKing@townofmamaroneckny.00g>; Fiddelman,Sabrina<SFiddelman@townofmamaroneckny.gov>;Anant Nambiar <ANambiar@townofmamaroneckny.gov>; Eney,Jaine Elkind<Supervisor@townofmamaroneckny.gov> Subject:Proposed Tax Increase To the Town of Mamaroneck Supervisor and Members of the Town Council: I am asking you to reconsider the incredibly Large tax increase of over 15%for Village of Larchmont and Village of Mamaroneck(as well as 8.4%increase for unincorporated areas).To echo the letter sent by Marlene Kolbert, Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) Former President of the Mamaroneck School Board, and former Village of Larchmont Trustee, l too find these numbers "staggering and unconscionable." I find one portion of the budget particularly troubling.Given our current situation of limited field space for our ever growing student population,the almost$1 million allocated for a one-time(not sustainable)improvement to the fields behind Hommocks,of which students are only allowed a tiny patch of field for very limited use, does not seem a wise or fair use of taxpayer money.Why should taxpayers pay for improvements to fields that do not even benefit our own students?To add insult to injury, I know that there was a grant proposed by Fields for Kids to turf a section of these fields to make them more usable and sustainable,a solution COST FREE TO TAXPAYERS, that was rejected by the Town of Mamaroneck. Please explain the rationale of rejecting that grant. Please do not raise our taxes by over 15%, in part to pay for fields that we barely get to use for our middle school students. If you are going to improve the fields,which we desperately need, please take advantage of proposed Fields for Kids grant money if still possible,and turf at Least a portion of the fields to make them more sustainable and consistently usable. No matter what happens with the budget and Hommocks fields, please ALLOW THE FIELDS TO BE USED by the middle school that sits by those fields 5 days a week and year-round for recess,gym,and after school. There are other categories of concern,but overall I find the unprecedentedly large and sudden tax increase,with very little notice to taxpayers,to be very troubling indeed. Thank you for your consideration. SincereLy, Ciaran Brennan Village of Mamaroneck Resident and parent of a Hommocks Middle School Student 2 Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) May,Allison From: Eney,Jaine Elkind Sent: Monday, December 16,2024 3:57 PM To: Siobhan Maher Cc: Anant Nambiar;Fiddelman,Sabrina;King,Jeffery;Nichinsky,Robin; May,Allison Subject Re:Tax increase Attachments: 2025 Town Budget Review.pdf Dear Siobhan Maher, Thank you for your email. Please see the attached 2025 Town Budget Review for discussion of the Town Budget. Best, Jaine Jaine Elkind Eney Supervisor Town of Mamaroneck 740 West Boston Post Road Mamaroneck, NY 10543 (914)381-7805 supervisorfttownofmamaroneckny.gov ' Sign up for Town alerts and notifications! CLICK HERE From:Siobhan Maher Sent:Thursday,December 12,2024 10:51 AM To: Eney,Jaine Elkind<Supervisor@townofmamaroneckny.gov>;Anant Nambiar <ANambiar@townofmamaroneckny.gov>; Fiddelman,Sabrina<SFiddelman@townofmamaroneckny.gov>;King,Jeffery <JKing@townofmamaroneckny.org>; Nichinsky,Robin<RNichinsky@townofmamaroneckny.gov> Subject:Tax increase To the Town of Mamaroneck Supervisor and Members of the Town Council: As a 8 year resident, I am asking you to reconsider the incredibly large tax increase of over 15%for Village of Larch mont and Village of Mamaroneck(as well as 8.4%increase for unincorporated areas).To echo the letter sent by Marlene Kolbert, Former President of the Mamaroneck School Board, and former Village of Larchmont Trustee, I too find these numbers "staggering and unconscionable." i Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) I find one portion of the budget particularly troubling. Given our current situation of limited field space for our ever growing student population,the almost$1 million allocated for a one-time(not sustainable)improvement to the fields behind Hommocks,of which students are only allowed a tiny patch of field for very limited use, does not seem a wise or fair use of taxpayer money.Why should taxpayers pay for improvements to fields that do not even benefit our own students?To add insult to injury, I know that there was a grant proposed by Fields for Kids to turf a section of these fields to make them more usable and sustainable,a solution COST FREE TO TAXPAYERS,that was rejected by the Town of Mamaroneck. Please explain the rationale of rejecting that grant. Please do not raise our taxes by over 15%, in part to pay for fields that we barely get to use for our middle school students. If you are going to improve the fields,which we desperately need, please take advantage of proposed Fields for Kids grant money if still possible,and turf at least a portion of the fields to make them more sustainable and consistently usable. No matter what happens with the budget and Hommocks fields, please ALLOW THE FIELDS TO BE USED by the middle school that sits by those fields 5 days a week and year-round for recess,gym, and after school.There are other categories of concern, but overall I find the unprecedentedly large and sudden tax increase,with very little notice to taxpayers,to be very troubling indeed. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Siobhan Brennan Village of Mamaroneck Resident and parent of a Hammocks Middle School Student. Sent from my iPhone 2 Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) May,Allison From: Eney,Jaine Elkind Sent Monday, December 16,2024 3:58 PM To: Jackie Emmet Cc: Fiddelman,Sabrina;Anant Nambiar;King,Jeffery; Nichinsky, Robin; May,Allison Subject: Re:2025 Budget comments Attachments: 2025 Town Budget Review.pdf Dear Ms. Emmet, Thankyou for your email. Please see the attached 2025 Town Budget Review for discussion of the Town Budget. Best, Jaine Jaine Elkind Eney Supervisor Town of Mamaroneck 740 West Boston Post Road Mamaroneck, NY 10543 (914)381-7805 supervisorPtownofmarnaroneckny.gov S 1 co up for Town alerts and notifications! CLICK HERE From:Jackie Emmet Sent:Thursday,December 12,2024 3:15 PM To:Eney,Jaine Elkind<Supervisor@townofmamaroneckny.gov>; Fiddelman,Sabrina <SFiddelman@townofmamaroneckny.gov>;Anant Nambiar<ANambiar@townofmamaroneckny.gov>; King,Jeffery <JKing@townofmamaroneckny.org>;Nichinsky,Robin<RNichinsky@townofmamaroneckny.gov> Subject:2025 Budget comments Dear Board of the Town of Mamaroneck, I have seen many emails and comments on social media regarding our Town Budget increases and their tax impacts for residents,so I decided to take a closer look. My understanding is the following: The unincorporated property owners'tax portion to the town would go up by 9.89%for an average home or$834 and the property owners in the Village of Larchmont and Village of Mamaroneck town portion would go up by 16.3% for an average home or$147. Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) The tax cap allows for a tax levy increase of$985K which is a cap of 2.93%.The Town tax levy is expected to go up by$3.2 mil. I understand that the contractual labor,benefit,and retirement expenses have gone up dramatically, but I think this board needs to ask the Chief Budget Officer and Director of Finance to look at ways to cut this budget down. It will have to involve cutting some staff in order to lower these unsustainable expenses. In addition,we need to look for savings in the Recreation Department. I see that our Rec dept is a net loss of$1 mil. (rounded). Maybe we should be looking at usage increases particularly for the pool and rink. My assumption is that Rye Neck residents do not pay Town property taxes.They should be required to pay substantially higher fees than Town residents.We also need to look at Sanitation. Can we cut back in this area and base more on usage?Does recycling need to be picked up every week?Can there be more efficiencies? People can pay extra to have it picked up each week, but otherwise it's picked up every other week. I know this is difficult to do but businesses do it all the time. In times where costs go up uncontrollably, budgets need to be cut. Sincerely, Jackie Emmet Larchmont 2 Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) May,Allison From: Eney,Jaine Elkind Sent: Monday, December 16,2024 4:00 PM To: Cc: Anant Nambiar;Fiddelman,Sabrina;King,Jeffery;Nichinsky, Robin;Meredith Robson; May,Allison Subject: Re:Proposed extreme tax increase Attachments: 2025 Town Budget Review.pdf Dear Mr.Fougere, Thank you for your email. Please see the attached 2025 Town Budget Review for discussion of the Town Budget. Best, Jaine Jaine Elkind Eney Supervisor Town of Mamaroneck 740 West Boston Post Road Mamaroneck, NY 10543 (914)381-7805 spervisor( townofmamaroneckny.gov Sign up for Town alerts and notifications! CLICK HERE From:Dan Fougere Sent:Friday, December 13,2024 9:33:16 AM To: Eney,Jaine Elkind<Supervisor@townofmamaroneckny.gov> Cc:Fiddelman,Sabrina<SFiddelman@townofmamaroneckny.gov>;Anant Nambiar <ANambiar@townofmamaroneckny.gov>;King,Jeffery<JKing@townofmamaroneckny.org>; Nichinsky, Robin <RNichinsky@townofmamaroneckny.gov> Subject:Proposed extreme tax increase Town Board, I've been living in Larchmont since 2007 and I'm writing to askyou not to move forward with an extreme increase on what are already the highest local taxes in the country. I have no doubt you have a challenging task to deal with inflation,increasing demands for services and citizens already at their breaking point with the country's highest state and local taxes and overall cost of living(maybe a 1 Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) close second to parts of California,but that's a contest where the winners are the losers). That said,the answer here is not to continue to drive home prices down and to damage the fabric of our community by driving people away,but instead we need to look internally at ways to reduce costs. There is momentum across the country to become more efficient and make hard choices to reduce government costs and this proposal goes in the opposite and clearly wrong direction. Continually raising estimates on home values while simultaneously raises tax rates is not a clever problem solving strategy,it is a destructive path to perpetuating an inefficient status quo and nobody wants this. Please reconsider putting your energy into reducing costs and becoming more efficient and not into driving home prices down and valuable members of our community out bytaxing us to the point of leaving. I'm not just complaining and making your jobs harder, I will help. I am willing to work on a team to look for efficiencies and help create solutions and I will help put a team together with others who have done similar exercises at successful companies. We have a lot of financial and operational talent in the community. Leverage us,we want to help you. Thanks for your service to our community and for hearing me out. Call me anytime. Best, Dan Fougere 2 Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) May, Allison From: Eney,Jaine Elkind Sent: Monday, December 16, 2024 4:02 PM To: Alexis Brine Cc: Jon Young;Anant Nambiar; Nichinsky, Robin; Fiddelman, Sabrina; King,Jeffery; May, Allison Subject: Re:Concerns with Town Tax increase and HMX Field Use Attachments: 2025 Town Budget Review.pdf Dear Lexi, Thank you for your emails. Please see the attached 2025 Town Budget Review for discussion of the Town Budget. Best, Jaine Jaine Elkind Eney Supervisor Town of Mamaroneck 740 West Boston Post Road Mamaroneck, NY 10543 (914)381-7805 supervisor@townofmamaroneckny.gov Sign uo for Town alerts and notifications! CLICK HERE From:Alexis Brine Sent:Monday,December 16,2024 9:34 AM To: Eney,Jaine Elkind<Supervisor@townofmamaroneckny.gov>;Anant Nambiar <ANambiar@townofmamaroneckny.gov>; Fiddelman,Sabrina<SFiddelman@townofmamaroneckny.gov>;King,Jeffery <JKing@townofmamaroneckn .or >• Nichinsky, Robin<RNichinsky@townofmamaroneckny.gov> Cc:Jon Young Subject:Re: Concerns with Town Tax increase and HMX Field Use Dear Jane, Thank you for your call yesterday. I appreciate your time and clarification on the evolving plans for the fields behind the Hommocks. I understand that a Fields for Kids grant is not in play at the moment--an opportunity for that partnership has been lost. 1 Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) The fields behind the Hommocks are important to me as a Town resident and rising Hommocks parent. As such, I am concerned that you stated on the phone yesterday that you do not know why kids are not allowed to play on the Hommocks field year round. This seems like a big issue--bigger with the upcoming budget increase--that remains a mystery.Why is it a mystery? You mentioned two things: 1.the fields not being able to be played on during winter months because of the grass...you were unclear exactly how playing on grass in the winter is bad;and, 2. Not having supervision from the Hommocks for kids to play(an issue with school funding, and not the grass). It has been relayed to me that the schools DO have funds to staff the fields during the day. So that is good news!And, I am sure the President and Superintendent will say the same at your meeting this week. I would love to hear an update on how that meeting goes, should you have time to put it into the community message you are planning to release. As for the grass in winter,are the plans you have to update the fields solving this issue?Will this allow kids to play on the fields year-round?That would be a very important piece of information for the community to know. As these fields are a major line item in our budget increase(even if less than the 800k quoted) and as EVERY parent of a Hommocks student who lives in the Town feels STRONGLY that our children have outdoor space to play, I look forward to more information forthcoming as to the reasons why they are not allowed on the fields during the school day,year round. I appreciate your time and attention to this matter. Lexi On Sun, Dec 15, 2024 at 11:47 AM Alexis Brine< wrote: To the Town of Mamaroneck Supervisor and Members of the Town Council: As a concerned resident and involved parent at the schools, I am asking you to reconsider the incredibly large tax increase of over 15%for Village of Larchmont and Village of Mamaroneck(as well as 8.4% increase for unincorporated areas---where I reside).And,to please explain publicly how and why the Hommocks Fields are restricted for our students. To echo the letter sent by Marlene Kolbert, Former President of the Mamaroneck School Board, and former Village of Larchmont Trustee, I too find these numbers "staggering and unconscionable." I find one portion of the budget particularly troubling(even embarrassing). Given our current situation of limited field space for our ever growing student population,the almost$1 million allocated for a one- time(not sustainable) improvement to the fields behind Hommocks, of which students are only allowed a tiny patch of field for very limited use, does not seem a wise or fair use of taxpayer money. I have a child going to Hommocks next year and I am SHOCKED that students are not allowed on the fields behind the school during the day:when we PAY for those fields!! Why should taxpayers pay for improvements to fields that do not even benefit our own students? 2 Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) . To add insult to injury, I know that there was a grant proposed by Fields for Kids to turf a section of these fields to make them more usable and sustainable, a solution COST FREE TO TAXPAYERS,that was rejected by the Town of Mamaroneck.WHY? Please explain the rationale of rejecting that grant. No matter what happens with the budget and Hommocks fields, please ALLOW THE FIELDS TO BE USED by the middle school that sits by those fields 5 days a week and year-round for recess, gym, and after school. What POSSIBLE rationale can the town have NOT to allow this use? We pay MORE in taxes, as a percent of our property value,than all of the surrounding towns/villages (Rye, Scarsdale, New Rochelle, Harrison)--prohibitively so to many buyers looking at the market. How are we not even investing in things our ever growing school population can use?Why are our taxes being raised so suddenly and hugely without proper notice? Thank you for your consideration. Please reconsider. Sincerely, Lexi Brine Mother of 2 Murray elementary school students 3 Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) May.Allison From: Eney,Jaine Elkind Sent: Monday,December 16,2024 4:04 PM To: Cc: Meredith Robson;Yogman,Tracy;Anant Nambiar;Fiddelman,Sabrina;King,Jeffery; Nichinsky,Robin; May,Allison Subject: Re:Re;proposed property tax hike of over 10% Attachments: 2025 Town Budget Review.pdf Dear Ms. Munves, Thank you foryour email. Please see the attached 2025 Town Budget Review for discussion of the Town Budget. Best, Jaine Jaine Elkind Eney Supervisor Town of Mamaroneck 740 West Boston Post Road Mamaroneck, NY 10543 (914)381-7805 supervisorCatownofmamaroneckny.gov Sign up for Town alerts and notifications! CLICK HERE From:May,Allison<AMay@townofmamaroneckny.gov> Sent:Monday, December 16,2024 6:16AM To:Town Board Members<TownBoardMembers@townofmamaroneckny.gov> Cc: Meredith Robson<MRobson@townofmamaroneckny.gov>;Yogman,Tracy<TYogman@townofmamaroneckny.gov> Subject:FW:Re;proposed property tax hike of over 10% Please see below. Alli Allison May,Town Clerk CMC/Marriage Officlant/Registrar/Notary Town of Mamaroneck 740W.Boston Post Road Mamaroneck,NY 10543 914-381-7870 1 Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) **The Town Clerk's Office is open daily from 8:30 a.m.—4:30 p.m. Marriage Licenses are done by appointment,please give us a call at 914-381-7870 to schedule yours. For permits,other licenses and FOILs, we encourage you to visit our website for the fastest response.*** Sign up for Town alerts and notifications! CLICK HERE From:Chrystie Munves Sent:Sunday,December 15,2024 11:45 AM To:May,Allison<AMay@townofmamaroneckny.gov> Subject:Re;proposed property tax hike of over 10% To the Board of the Town of Mamaroneck. Re: proposed tax property tax hike of 10%for 2025. Please understand that not everyone is making millions of dollars a year. Many of us are retirees or blue collar workers either living on fixed incomes or salaries that make it from paycheck to paycheck. Next year the President elect his promising to institute tariffs on many goods which will guarantee price hikes for everyone. While the economy has achieved a soft landing and looks good now, this will be short lived. To institute a double digit property tax hike on Mamaroneck and Larchmont residents will create undue financial distress for tens of thousands of residents. if you are concerned at all about helping service workers and retirees stay in these communities, you will find a way to postpone projects that are not essential and deal only with work that is essential. I have loved living in this community for close to 3 decades and look forward to retiring here..but these property tax hikes will make what is already an expensive community unaffordable. I am a former member of my co-ops board, and I am writing this on my behalf but also with knowledge of the financial conditions of the 79 families that reside in our cooperative, Alden House. Respectfully, Chrystie Munves 11 Alden Road, Larchmont, NY 10538 2 Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) May, Allison From: Eney,Jaine Elkind Sent: Monday,December 16,2024 4:06 PM To: Cc: Anent Nambiar;Fiddelman,Sabrina;King,Jeffery;Nichinsky,Robin;May,Allison; Meredith Robson;Yogman,Tracy Subject: Re:Concerned citizen Attachments: 2025 Town Budget Review.pdf Dear Mr.Gatti, Thank you for your email. Please see the attached 2025 Town Budget Review for discussion of the Town Budget. Best, Jaine Jaine Elkind Eney Supervisor Town of Mamaroneck 740 West Boston Post Road Mamaroneck, NY 10543 (914)381-7805 supervlsor@townofmamaroneckn . ov Sign up for Town alerts and notifications! CLICK HERE From:May,Allison<AMay@townofmamaroneckny.gov> Sent:Monday,December 16,2024 6:16 AM To:Town Board Members<TownBoardMembers@townofmamaroneckny.gov> Cc:Meredith Robson<MRobson@townofmamaroneckny.gov>;Yogman,Tracy<TYogman@townofmamaroneckny.gov> Subject:FW:Concerned citizen Please see below. Atli Allison May,Town Clerk CMC/Marriage Officiant/Registrar/Notary Town of Mamaroneck 740 W.Boston Post Road Mamaroneck,NY 10543 1 Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) 914-381-7870 **The Town Clerk's Office is open daily from 8:30 a.m.—4:30 p.m. Marriage Licenses are done by appointment,please give us a call at 914-381-7870 to schedule yours. For permits,other licenses and FOILs,we encourage you to visit our website for the fastest response.*** Sign up for Town alerts and notifications)CLICK HERE Original Message From:Pete Gatti Sent:Sunday, December 15,2024 2:36 PM To: May,Allison<AMay@townofmamaroneckny.gov> Subject:Concerned citizen Hello-I live in Larchmont and saw the proposal for increased taxes.This is truly unacceptable.Why can a budget not be balanced?How often are board members up for election?Who decides the amounts to increase? • Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) May. Allison From: Pete Gatti Sent: Monday, December 16,2024 6:16 PM To: Eney,Jaine Elkind Cc: Anant Nambiar;Fiddelman,Sabrina;King,Jeffery;Nichinsky,Robin;May,Allison; Meredith Robson;Yogman,Tracy Subject: Re:Concerned citizen When was the town payroll and benefit expenses reviewed?93%of the budget goes to that?Is there a breakdown of who receives what?You are not allowing for any unforeseen issues if 93%of the budget goes to fixed expenses. Also-if there is a major need to fix something like the reservoir how is this allocated by town? On Dec 16,2024, at 4:20 PM, Eney,Jaine Elkind<Supervisor@townofmamaroneckny.gov> wrote: Dear Mr.Gatti, Thank you for your email. Please see the attached 2025 Town Budget Review for discussion of the Town Budget. Best, Jaine Jaine Elkind Eney Supervisor Town of Mamaroneck 740 West Boston Post Road Mamaroneck, NY 10543 (914)381-7805 supervisor( townofmamaroneckny.gov i Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) Sion up for Town alerts and notifications!CLICK HERE From:May,Allison<AMay@townofmamaroneckny.gov> Sent:Monday,December 16,2024 6:16 AM To:Town Board Members<TownBoardMembers@townofmamaroneckny.gov> Cc:Meredith Robson<MRobson@townofrnamaroneckny.gov>;Yogman,Tracy <TYogman @townofmarnaroneckny.gov> Subject:FW:Concerned citizen Please see below. Aili Allison May,Town Clerk CMC/Marriage Officiant/Registrar/Notary Town of Mamaroneck 740 W.Boston Post Road Mamaroneck,NY 10543 914-381-7870 **The Town Clerk's Office is open daily from 8:30 a.m.—4:30 p.m. Marriage Licenses are done by appointment,please give us a call at 914-381-7870 to schedule yours. For permits,other licenses and FOILs,we encourage you to visit our website for the fastest response.*** Sign up for Town alerts and notifications!CLICK HERE Original Messa e From:Pete Gatti Sent:Sunday, Decem er 15,202 2:36 To: May,Allison<AMay@townofmamaroneckny.gov> Subject:Concerned citizen Hello-I live in Larchmont and saw the proposal for increased taxes.This is truly unacceptable. Why can a budget not be balanced?How often are board members up for election?Who decides the amounts to increase? <2025 Town Budget Review.pdf> 2 Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) May,Allison From: Chris Gerosa Sent Monday,December 16,2024 4:39 PM To: Eney,Jaine Elkind Cc: May,Allison;Anent Nambiar,Fiddelman,Sabrina;Nichinsky,Robin;King,Jeffery;Cc: Vincent Gerosa Subject Re:Tax increase and Hommocks Fields Thank you for sendingthis update.I understand it is no small task to meet the diverse needs of the town under rising costs.Still there are questions left unanswered by this response,specifically: -Will you Let Hummocks students(taxpayers)use the fields(and not just a tiny portion of it),year round during and after school? -Why was a grant from Fields for Kids to turf a portion of the fields turned down? -What is the"enhanced maintenance program"for the Hummocks Fields? Thank you for your response. Sincerely, Chris Gerosa On Mon, Dec 16,2024 at 4:13 PM Eney,Jaine Elkind<SupervisorPtownofmamaroneckny.gov>wrote: Dear Chris Gerosa, Thank you for your email. Please see attached 2025 Town Budget Review for discussion of the Town Budget. Best, Jaine Jaine Elkind Eney Supervisor Town of Mamaroneck 740 West Boston Post Road Mamaroneck, NY 10543 (914)381-7805 supervisor( townofmamaroneckny.gov 1 Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) Sian up far Town alerts and notifications! CLICK HERE From:Chris Gerosa Sent:Wednesday,December 11,2024 12:47 PM To:Eney,Jaine Elkind<Supervisor@townofmamaroneckny.gov>;Anant Nambiar <ANambiar@townofmamaroneckny.gov>;Fiddelman,Sabrina<SFiddelman@townofmamaronecknv.00v>;King,Jeffery <JKing@townofmamaroneckny.org>; Nichinsky,Robin<RNichinsky@townofmamaroneckny.gov> Cc:Vincent Gerosa ;Chris Gerosa Subject:Tax increase and Hommocks Fields To the Town of Mamaroneck Supervisor and Members of the Town Council: As a 17-year resident, I am asking you to reconsider the incredibly large tax increase of over 15%for Village of Larchmont and Village of Mamaroneck(as well as 8.4%increase for unincorporated areas). To echo the letter sent by Marlene Kolbert, Former President of the Mamaroneck School Board, and former Village of Larchmont Trustee, I too find these numbers "staggering and unconscionable." I find one portion of the budget particularly troubling.Given our current situation of limited field space for our ever growing student population,the almost$1 million allocated for a one-time(not sustainable) improvement to the fields behind Hammocks, of which students are only allowed a tiny patch of field for very limited use, does not seem a wise or fair use of taxpayer money.Why should taxpayers pay for improvements to fields that do not even benefit our own students?To add insult to injury, I know that there was a grant proposed by Fields for Kids to turf a section of these fields to make them more usable and sustainable,a solution COST FREE TO TAXPAYERS,that was rejected by the Town of Mamaroneck. Please explain the rationale of rejecting that grant. Please do not raise our taxes by over 15%, in part to pay for fields that we barely get to use for our middle school students. If you are going to improve the fields,which we desperately need,please take advantage of proposed Fields for Kids grant money if still possible,and turf at least a portion of the fields to make them more sustainable and consistently usable. No matter what happens with the budget and Hommocks fields, please ALLOW THE FIELDS TO BE USED by the middle school that sits by those fields 5 days a week and year-round for recess,gym, and after school.There are other categories of concern, but overall I find the unprecedentedly large and sudden tax increase,with very little notice to taxpayers,to be very troubling indeed. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Chris Gerosa Village of Larchmont Resident and parent of a 3, including a Hammocks Middle School Student 2 Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) May.Allison From: Franco Nessa Sent: Tuesday, December 17,2024 6:32 PM To: May,Allison Subject: Proposed tax increase https://larchmontloop.com/sha rp-property-tax-increases-ahead-for-mamaroneck-larchmont-homeowners/ theloop - theloop Homeowners in Mamaroneck and Larchmont face sharp property tax hikes in 2025,with increases up to 15.7% and more expected through 2027. larchmontloop.com Concerning the link above: It seems as though the Town wants the area to be one for only the wealthy who the only ones who'll be able to afford such an increase. I am a senior who has been a in the property all my life and I am barely able to pay what the taxes are now. My family has been here since the 1880s. It has always had wealthy areas such Orienta&the Manor but was primarily middle and blue-collar families. It seems now that with such increases you want it to be just a place for the wealthy,&excluding middle class people such as myself because I am sure with this increase I will not be able to pay&will have to move from village that's been home all my life. Please,for me and others like me,do NOT allow this tax increase to happen. Sincerely, Frank Paonessa 1 Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) May,Allison From: Odierna,Sue Sent: Wednesday,December 18,2024 2:03 PM To: Anant Nambiar;Fiddelman,Sabrina;King,Jeffery;Nichinsky,Robin;May,Allison Subject FW:Increase in Property Taxes Hi all, FYI. Sue Sue Odierna Confidential Secretary to the Town Supervisor and Sustainability Coordinator Town of Mamaroneck 740 W. Boston Post Road Mamaroneck, NY 10543 914.381.7816 sodierna@townofmamaroneckny.gov Sign up for Town alerts and notifications! CLICK HERE From:Michael O'Rorke Sent:Wednesday, Decem er 18,2024 1:59 PM To:Eney,Jaine Elkind<Supervisor@townofmamaroneckny.gov> Cc: Nicolina Kuh Subject:Increas Greetings. My name is Michael O'Rorke,and I live at 62 Iselin Terrace. My wife Nicotine and I moved to Larchmont from the city in 2013 with our toddler son in tow. In the 11+years since,our family has grown (two boys, now 13 and another 10),and we have developed deep ties to the local community. Larchmont has truly been a special home for us.That is why news of potentially sharp increases in propertytaxes as part of the town's proposed budget leaves us bewildered and deeply concerned for our future in the community. We are unable to attend tonight's meeting at 800p,so I wanted to share some thoughts with the board in advance of the meeting... On nearly all fronts,Larchmont has been a very rewarding and positive place to call home for our family. Much of the strength of this place comes from the town's citizens and local administrators,so many of whom I know care deeply about making Larchmont a warm and welcoming community. And yes, it is also the result of the town's investment in resources:the people,facilities,and operations needed to maintain a terrific town for its citizens.While we understand the importance of sustaining Larchmont's Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) excellence through a healthy operating budget, my wife and I are concerned about the plan for sharp rises in property taxes over the next few years to help fund an apparent shortfall in the operating budget. Leveraging theoretical increases in home market values(and therefore higher property taxes)is a dubious approach to funding a budget gap.A speculative increase in home value is only realized when selling our house--and does nothing to fund the cost of actually living in Larchmont, Rising inflation and the soaring costs of goods and services are far outpacing increases in salary and wages--at least in the private sector-- and such sharp jumps in our tax bill will make living in Larchmont increasingly unaffordable for my family and many others. Rising costs in recent years have forced all of us to make tough choices and trade offs about what we can afford and want to spend money on;the town's budget should also consider such trade offs as its being developed and proposed.The responsible thing to do is rein in costs and incremental project funding rather than just passing through those costs to residents to foot the bill and keep status quo. And while I'm sure there are families who are well-off enough to absorb these property tax increases without much concern, please know there are also many families like our own--families who have built a life in Larchmont that they love--who will be put in a much tougher position to stay if you move forward with your proposal. Thankyou for your time and consideration Best regards, Michael and Nicolina°°Rorke 2 Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) May,Allison From: Andra Fertig • Sent: Wednesday, December 18,2024 2:50 PM To: May,Allison Cc: AaaRichard Subject: Taxes My husband and I have lived in Larchmont almost 30 years and we are extremely angry about the proposed tax increases.I have had multiple friends who were forced to relocate due to the high tax burden. I feel there is a lot of wasted spending. Last year I watched as they put in new sidewalks on Homer Avenue(a dead end street)and the surrounding area. I walk almost every day and have not noticed major problems with sidewalks.Why would the town be so frivolous with our tax payers money? I appreciate your work and I sincerely hope you drastically reduce next years planned tax increase and be more aware of how your taxes impact people's lives.Thank you.Andra Fertig Sent from my iPhone Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) May.Allison From: Eney,Jaine Elkind Sent: Wednesday, December 18,2024 3:19 PM To: Leslie Newman Cc: Anant Nambiar;Fiddelman,Sabrina; King,Jeffery; Nichinsky,Robin; May,Allison Subject: Re: Budget Increase Attachments: 2025 Town Budget Review.pdf Dear Leslie Newman and Mark Friedland, Thank you for your comments. Please see the attached 2025 Town Budget Review for discussion of the Town Budget. Best, Jaine Jaine Elkind Eney Supervisor Town of Mamaroneck 740 West Boston Post Road Mamaroneck, NY 10543 (914)381-7805 supervisorPtownofmamaroneckny.gov Sign up for Town alerts and notifications! CLICK HERE From:Leslie Newman Sent:Friday,December 13,2024 2:34 PM To:Eney,Jaine Elkind<Supervisor@townofmamaroneckny.gov> Subject:Budget Increase To the Town of Mamaroneck Supervisor and Members of the Town Council, We have been residents of Larchmont for over 30 years and are writing to express our concern regarding the proposed tax increase of over 15%for the Village of Larchmont and Village of Mamaroneck,as well as the 8.4% increase for unincorporated areas. Our children both went through the Mamaroneck school system and have enjoyed many of the sports and other recreational activities available in this community. We believe this is a wonderful place to live and we understand that in today's world the benefits we experience do not come cheaply, but tax increases of this magnitude are not sustainable.High taxes will drive away residents,both young and old. One aspect of the budget that we find particularly troubling is the nearly$1 million allocated for a one-time improvement to the fields behind Hommocks.Our understanding is that Hommocks students get only very limited 1 Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) use of these fields and spend lunch hours confined to the parking lot. Furthermore,we are aware that a grant proposed by Fields for Kids to turf a section of these fields,which would have made them more usable and sustainable at no cost to taxpayers,was rejected by the Town of Mamaroneck. No explanation has been given. While the field upgrade cost is particularly glaring there are other areas of concern. An unprecedentedly large and sudden tax increase,with minimal notice to taxpayers, is deeply troubling. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Leslie Newman and Mark Friedland,Village of Larchmont 2 Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) May, Allison From: Gerald Kolbert Sent: Sunday, December 08,2024 5:55 PM To: May,Allison Subject: Fwd: Budget Sent from Marlene's iPad Begin forwarded message: From: Gerald Kolbert Date: December 8, 2024 at 5:53:09 PM EST To: sodierna@townofmamaroneckny.org Subject: Budget To: Supervisor and members of the Town Council From: Marlene Kolbert I watched the December 4 public hearing on the Town budget for 2025 and was troubled by the lack of respect shown to a resident who came to speak about the almost 10% increase for 2025. With three people waiting to speak, I don't understand why you had to set a ten minute time limit for residents to comment on unprecedented tax increases, I have lived in Larchmont for over 58 years. I was President of the School Board and also a Village of Larchmont Trustee for many years. I have sat through many public hearings involving difficult matters. In all my years of service, I tried never to forget that I served at the pleasure of the residents of our community.When residents take the time to study your budget, I think you should listen to what they have to say. I have known Michael Gottfried for over 25 years. He has volunteered his time on the Larchmont Finance and Environmental Committees. He has mentored OCRA students. He has studied the water infrastructure and provided helpful information and advice regarding the reservoir, our playing fields,Joint Sanitation Commission and many others aspects of our government. He always does his homework and comes prepared to contribute. I have spoken with Michael about the 2025 budget and agree with him.We have not experienced double digit tax increases. I know the Board can override the 2%tax cap but but as a Village resident I find these numbers staggering and unconscionable. Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) Sent from Marlene's iPad 2 Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) Monday,December 9, 2024 Dear Mamaroneck Town Board, As a 24-year resident of the Village of Larchmont and parent of four children who have gone through our excellent public school system,I am deeply concerned about the proposed tax increases for 2025 and beyond. The average 9.95%Town tax levy increase,with a staggering 15.7%increase for Village homeowners like myself,is simply unsustainable.Projecting double-digit increases for 2026 and 2027 only compounds this burden.These hikes will create significant hardships for many residents,particularly those on fixed incomes or facing economic challenges. Furthermore, I find it particularly troubling that Village residents are expected to pay over 50%of the town's professional fees,despite each village already maintaining its own attorneys and engineer staff. This appears to be a duplicative and unnecessary expense that unfairly burdens taxpayers. I urge you to reconsider this approach and explore alternative revenue sources to offset these increases. One suggestion is to implement a mandatory carting fee for businesses and non-profit organizations,similar to private carting,rather than having residents subsidize commercial garbage collection.This seems like a straightforward solution. We,the residents,should not be expected to subsidize services without clear justification. Please consider the long-term impact on our community and seek more equitable solutions that don't place such a heavy burden on homeowners. I implore you to listen to the concerns of your constituents and find a more balanced approach to meeting our town's financial needs. Sincerely, Scott Magram Larchmont Resident Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) May, Allison From: Eney,Jaine Elkind Sent: Wednesday, December 11,2024 4:18 PM To: May,Allison Subject: Fw:Tax increase and Hommocks Fields Jaine Elkind Eney Supervisor Town of Mamaroneck 740 West Boston Post Road Mamaroneck, NY 10543 (914)381-7805 supervisor@townofmamaroneckny.gov Sign up for Town alerts and notifications! CLICK HERE From:Chris Gerosa Sent:Wednesday, December 11,2024 12:47 PM To: Eney,Jaine Elkind<Supervisor@townofmamaroneckny.gov>;Anant Nambiar <ANambiar@townofmamaroneckny.gov>; Fiddelman,Sabrina<SFiddelman@townofmamaroneckny.gov>; King,Jeffery <JKing@townofmamaroneckn .or >• Nichinsk , Robin<RNichinsky@townofmamaroneckny.gov> Cc:Vincent Gerosa Chris Gerosa Subject:Tax increase and Hommocks Fields To the Town of Mamaroneck Supervisor and Members of the Town Council: As a 17-year resident, I am asking you to reconsider the incredibly large tax increase of over 15%for Village of Larchmont and Village of Mamaroneck(as well as 8.4%increase for unincorporated areas).To echo the letter sent by Marlene Kolbert, Former President of the Mamaroneck School Board, and former Village of Larchmont Trustee, I too find these numbers "staggering and unconscionable." I find one portion of the budget particularly troubling. Given our current situation of limited field space for our ever growing student population,the almost$1 million allocated for a one-time(not sustainable) improvement to the fields behind Hommocks, of which students are only allowed a tiny patch of field for very limited use, does not seem a wise or fair use of taxpayer money.Why should taxpayers pay for improvements to fields that do not even benefit our own students?To add insult to injury, I know that there was a grant proposed by Fields for Kids to turf a section of these fields to make them more usable and sustainable,a solution COST FREE TO TAXPAYERS,that was rejected by the Town of Mamaroneck. Please explain the rationale of rejecting that grant. Please do not raise our taxes by over 15%, in part to payfor fields that we barely get to use for our middle school students. If you are going to improve the fields,which we desperately need, please take advantage of proposed Fields for Kids grant money if still possible, and turf at least a portion of the fields to make them more sustainable and consistently usable. No matter what happens with the budget and Hommocks fields, please ALLOW THE FIELDS TO BE USED by the middle school that sits by those fields 5 days a week and year-round for recess,gym, and after Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) school.There are other categories of concern, but overall I find the unprecedentedly large and sudden tax increase,with very little notice to taxpayers,to be very troubling indeed. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Chris Gerosa Village of Larchmont Resident and parent of a 3, including a Hommocks Middle School Student 2 Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) May, Allison From: Eney,Jaine Elkind Sent: Thursday, December 12, 2024 9:01 AM To: Town Board Members; May,Allison; Meredith Robson;Yogman,Tracy Subject: Fw:Tax increases Get Outlook for iOS From:Victoria Fat Sent:Thursday, December 12, 2024 8:57 AM To: Eney,Jaine Elkind <Supervisor@townofmamaroneckny.gov> Subject:Tax increases Good morning, Your budget proposal is irresponsible.You need to go back and start over. Especially the VOM residents who do not receive any services from the town, should not be expected to foot the bill for your irresponsible spending. Do better Mamaroneck! Stop talking about affordable housing then raising our taxes above the cap!You all should be ashamed of yourselves! Sincerely, Victoria Fate VOM resident Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) May, Allison From: Brian Lobel Sent: Friday, December 13, 2024 6:50 PM To: Meredith Robson; Eney,Jaine Elkind Cc: Fiddelman, Sabrina; Fiddelman, Sabrina; King,Jeffery;Anant Nambiar;Anant Nambiar; Yogman,Tracy; May,Allison; May, Allison;Sarah Bauer; Muni-Newburgh Subject: Cash-flows-Town of Mamaroneck, Village of Larchmont, LMJGC Good evening, The excerpt included at the bottom of this message, from draft minutes of the town board meeting of December 4, 2024 (which is consistent with what I heard at that meeting "work-session") presents a "cautious" outlook on the town's cash flow during the first four months of 2025. Yet at the November 11, 2024 meeting of the Garbage Commission (minutes not yet provided) I heard some "mumbling" but overall a more positive cashflow situation for the town; one which would be letting the town cover payments due from the Village of Larchmont to the commission during the first five months of the year and allow the Village to pay, without interest, its commission expenses beginning only after the first five months of the calendar year 2025. Perhaps you can explain as overall the commission and its owner/entities seem to be involved in games of three-card monte with taxpayers as observers and footing the bills. Thanks and best holiday wishes, Brian Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) The Town Comptroller and Town Administrator emphasized the maintaining a sufficient fund balance to cover the first four montl that the budget is currently very close to this amount, meaning a the fund balance could impact the Town's cash flow. Maintaininc balance is crucial. The Comptroller then reviewed various tax ral different budgetary decisions. Administrator Robson pointed out that fund balance has been LA the past few years, making it necessary for the Town to maintain million in fund balance for cash flow purposes. Comptroller Yogn that the fund balance is not entirely cash; it includes receivables assets minus liabilities. Even though the fund balance is estimate is cash, and $4.2 million must be set aside for debt service, whic operating expenses. Additionally, tax revenues are not fully colle with about half to three-quarters of a percent usually outstandinc over several years. This means the Town must cover the entire I expenses. This email message and any attachments may contain privileged and confidential information. Personal private data of individuals identified in this message may only be released as required by law. If you are not an intended recipient,you are prohibited from printing, forwarding, saving or copying this email. If you received this e-mail in error,please notify the sender and delete it and any attachments from your computer. 2 Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) May, Allison From: Chrystie Munves Sent: Sunday, December 15,2024 11:45 AM To: May,Allison Subject: Re; proposed property tax hike of over 10% To the Board of the Town of Mamaroneck. Re: proposed tax property tax hike of 10% for 2025. Please understand that not everyone is making millions of dollars a year. Many of us are retirees or blue collar workers either living on fixed incomes or salaries that make it from paycheck to paycheck. Next year the President elect his promising to institute tariffs on many goods which will guarantee price hikes for everyone. While the economy has achieved a soft landing and looks good now, this will be short lived. To institute a double digit property tax hike on Mamaroneck and Larchmont residents will create undue financial distress for tens of thousands of residents. If you are concerned at all about helping service workers and retirees stay in these communities, you will find a way to postpone projects that are not essential and deal only with work that is essential. I have loved living in this community for close to 3 decades and look forward to retiring here..but these property tax hikes will make what is already an expensive community unaffordable. I am a former member of my co-ops board, and I am writing this on my behalf but also with knowledge of the financial conditions of the 79 families that reside in our cooperative, Alden House. Respectfully, Chrystie Munves 11 Alden Road, Larchmont, NY 10538 Town Board December 18, 2024 Attachment B (Cont'd) May, Allison From: Pete Gatti Sent: Sunday,December 15, 2024 2:36 PM To: May,Allison Subject: Concerned citizen Hello-I live in Larchmont and saw the proposal for increased taxes.This is truly unacceptable.Why can a budget not be balanced?How often are board members up for election?Who decides the amounts to increase?