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Ballston Spa board adopts local law to allow exceeding tax cap; budget debate continues
Summary
Trustees adopted Local Law No. 3 of 2025, authorizing the village to override the state tax levy limit if needed. Public commenters and trustees debated use of fund balance and capital priorities as the board advances work on the tentative 2026 budget.
The Village of Ballston Spa Board of Trustees on April 14 adopted Local Law No. 3 of 2025, a measure that gives the board authority to adopt a fiscal 2026 budget that could exceed the property tax levy limit set in New York General Municipal Law §3-c.
The board held a public hearing earlier in the meeting on the law and on the village’s tentative 2026 budget; no members of the public spoke during the formal local-law hearing, but several residents later urged the board to be cautious about exceeding the levy cap and to prioritize capital spending.
Mayor Frank Rossi, reading an overview of the measure during the meeting, said the local law “gives you the authority. It does not require you to do it.” The board also completed the SEQRA review process for the action and adopted a negative declaration before voting to adopt the local law.
Residents speaking during the tentative-budget public hearing pressed the board for greater transparency and more emphasis on capital planning. Liz Cornwell, who said she has tracked village finances for 10 years, told trustees that the tentative budget relies on roughly $262,000 from fund balance to balance revenues and expenses and that recurring revenues remain below recurring expenses in the village’s projections. Cornwell also said an unusual one-time increase in fiscal 2024 revenues — about $750,000 from asset sales and insurance receipts — is not expected to recur.
Marilyn Stevenson, who led public comments on zoning earlier in the meeting, asked the trustees to extend the zoning comment deadline and criticized what she described as shifting draft maps; she also urged clearer outreach about major fiscal decisions. Other speakers urged trustees to limit use of fund balance for operations and to prioritize capital and reserve funds for long-term infrastructure needs.
During the discussion, several trustees said they would support use of tax levy authority only to address capital needs. One trustee said trimming roughly $40,000 from operating expenses would keep the operational budget under the cap; another urged transfers from fee revenues into dedicated capital and equipment reserves to improve grant eligibility.
The board then voted on the local-law resolution authorizing an override of the tax levy limit. The motion passed on a roll call with five votes in favor and no votes against.
What happens next: Adopting the local law gives the board authority to levy above the statutory limit but does not itself set a tax rate. The board must still adopt a final fiscal 2026 budget in a later meeting; trustees and members of the public indicated they expect follow-up debate about how much, if any, of the levy authority to use and whether additional budget cuts can be found to reduce reliance on fund balance.
Votes at a glance: Local Law No. 3 of 2025 — motion to adopt and file with the Secretary of State; outcome: approved (5–0 roll call).
