Croton Board Criticized on Proposed Tax Hikes

CROTON-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. – Village of Croton Trustees were subject to a round of critical comments at a public hearing Monday evening regarding the proposed budget, which includes a tax rate increase of 6.76 percent for village residents.

“I’m sick and tired of paying for other people’s overly generous salaries and benefits, and having my taxes raised yet again in an already highly taxed village,” said Croton resident Alison Feinburg. “I ask you to cut salary increases, health benefits and other personnel benefits to keep the tax increase much lower than the 6.76 percent increase,” she said.

Abraham Zambrano, Croton Village Manager, wrote in the budget message of the proposed budget that, “Due to increases in costs that are beyond our control, the proposed budget for fiscal year 2012-13 will not allow us to stay within the tax levy limit, of $10,723,609, set by the State Comptroller’s Office.”

Residents questioned whether the village should have overridden the 2 percent tax cap in October 2011, months before preparing the budget.

“I think every single member of this board, in the work sessions so far -- and we have three or four more coming up -- are absolutely intent on reducing it,” said Trustee Ann Gallelli about potential reductions to the budget.

Village residents criticized proposed expenditures such as a $2.5 million repair to the bulkhead supporting the Croton Yacht Club, dental plan expenditures for nonunion employees and proposed vehicles for the captain of the Croton Volunteer Ambulance Corps and Croton Volunteer Fire Departments.

Not all trustees agreed on reasons why the budget is steadily increasing. “We have a 6.7 percent -- or whatever percent increase this year, because for years you pushed and pushed and pushed for political reasons to have a zero percent increase,” said Trustee Greg Schmidt to the board.

The next Croton budget workshop will take place Wednesday, April 11 at 7:30 p.m., at the Stanley H. Kellerhouse Municipal Building, located at 1 Van Wyck St., Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y.

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