Ballston Spa trustees debate budget reserves, fire apparatus planning and sidewalk funding

At a Village of Ballston Spa trustees workshop on April 21, 2025, board members and department leaders spent the evening’s budget discussion focused on reserve policy for fire apparatus and building improvements, equipment and personnel costs in police and DPW, and how to pay for an expanded sidewalk program.

The debate centered on two competing approaches: put anticipated but unspent building-improvement allocations into department-level lines now and move unused amounts to a truck-reserve after the fiscal year ends, or explicitly appropriate money into named reserve funds now. Mayor Frank framed the problem around long lead times and large purchases, saying trustees had been handed “a $2,440,000 ladder truck proposal” and that planning must start now to be able to pay for multi‑year apparatus purchases.

Why it matters: the board is preparing for multi‑year capital needs — ladder and pumper trucks, potential DPW building work and other large projects — while balancing operating budgets and avoiding what trustees described as double‑appropriating the same dollars.

Fire department and reserves

Fire Chief Kevin Croft, who said he has “only been through this my third time now,” described the department’s…