Fredonia board adopts 2025–26 budget, overrides state tax cap after heated public comments

The Village of Fredonia Board of Trustees voted Monday night to adopt a $8 million operating budget for the fiscal year beginning June 1, 2025, and to adopt a local law overriding the 2025–26 property tax cap.

The board passed the budget by a 3–2 vote (Trustees Brockler, Syracuse and Esperson voting in favor; Trustees Twitchell and Wandel opposed). The board separately adopted Local Law No. 4 of 2025, a tax-levy override under General Municipal Law §3‑c, by a 4–1 vote (Twitchell opposed). The board also voted to override its general fund balance policy for the coming year to allow use of reserves to cover a shortfall; that resolution passed unanimously.

Why it matters: Adopting the budget and overriding the tax cap lets the village increase property tax revenues beyond the state-prescribed limit and use fund balance to cover a projected deficit. Residents and longtime finance volunteers told the board they had not seen sufficient explanation for the changes and urged clearer accounting before further increases.

Public comment and context

Several residents used the public-comment period to challenge the board’s budget work and to request clearer reporting. Sam Dreo told trustees, “The proposed budget shows a $1,500,000 increase in the amount of taxes to be raised by the village for this coming fiscal year compared to last year. This would result in a 62% approximately increase in village tax rate.” He asked…