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 how the village would pay a stated $825,000 revenue anticipation note and why certain revenue lines (including Pomfret’s fire-protection payments) appeared reduced.

Mister Saint George, who said he prepared village budgets for 13 years, raised concerns about the fund balance. “The original estimate of the fund balance that I saw was 766 positive on your adopted budget last year. All of a sudden, moving into the new fiscal year, it went down to a negative $307,000,” he said, asking the board to explain where that change occurred.

Trustees and process

Board members debated whether to table the adoption for more discussion; a motion to table failed. Trustee Esperson said she would vote to adopt because of the immediate operational needs if the budget was not passed in the next days. Trustees who opposed the budget said they wanted more time to review line-item changes and transfers.

Key numerical details recorded in the meeting record and public comment

- Public commenter Sam Dreo cited a $1,500,000 increase in taxes and a projected tax rate of $61.09; he said the change would raise the average household’s tax bill roughly $540. (These figures were presented by speakers in public comment; the board did not present a separate line-by-line explanation in the public portion.) - A revenue anticipation note of $825,000 was mentioned by a public speaker as a budget item; the source of repayment was raised as a question during public comment. - The board passed the general-fund balance override resolution to allow reserve use for the coming year; the resolution will be reviewed annually.

Actions (as recorded in the meeting minutes)

- Local Law No. 4 of 2025 (override tax levy limit under GML §3‑c): approved. Vote: Esperson Aye; Brockler Aye; Syracuse Aye; Wandel Aye; Twitchell Nay. Outcome: adopted. - Resolution adopting the 2025–26 budget (appropriations and salaries effective 06/01/2025): approved. Vote: Esperson Aye; Brockler Aye; Syracuse Aye; Wandel Nay; Twitchell Nay. Outcome: adopted. - Resolution authorizing an override of the village’s fund-balance policy for FY 2025–26: approved (unanimous). Outcome: adopted.

What’s next

Trustees discussed options for follow-up: more detailed budget transfer reporting during the fiscal year and opportunities for residents to meet with finance volunteers and trustees. Several residents asked to meet with board members to review the numbers in detail. The board noted state deadlines for budget adoption; failing to pass a budget would revert certain authority to the mayor under village procedures.

Speakers (as identified in the meeting record)

- Mike Ferguson, Mayor (government) - Trustee Esperson (government) - Trustee Brockler (government) - Trustee Syracuse (government) - Trustee Wandel (government) - Trustee Twitchell (government) - Sam Dreo (citizen) - Mister Saint George (citizen; former village budget preparer) - Bill Burns (citizen)

Authorities

- Statute: General Municipal Law §3‑c (tax-levy limit override) — referenced by the local-law resolution.

Clarifying details

- Budget increase referenced by a public speaker: $1,500,000 (as stated by Sam Dreo). - Public-comment citation of proposed tax rate: $61.09 (stated by a commenter; board materials did not show a reconciled per‑parcel impact in the meeting transcript). - Public-comment citation of per-household impact: about $540 (stated by a commenter). - Revenue anticipation note amount mentioned in public comment: $825,000 (source of repayment questioned during public comment).

Proper names

[{"name":"Fredonia","type":"location"},{"name":"General Municipal Law §3‑c","type":"statute"},{"name":"Pomfret","type":"location"}]

Searchable tags

["budget","taxes","fund_balance","public_comment","village_government"]

Provenance

[{"block_id":"7307.7","local_start":0,"local_end":290,"evidence_excerpt":"Whereas according to New York state's property tax cap legislation... public hearing was held before the village of Fredonia board on April 16 at 6PM to hear all persons interested in proposed local law number 4 of 2025."},{"block_id":"7471.74","local_start":0,"local_end":320,"evidence_excerpt":"Be it resolved that the tentative budget is amended and revised and is attached here to made part of thereof is hereby adopted... effective 06/01/2025."}]