Depew board adopts 2026–27 budget, sets tax rates for Cheektowaga and Lancaster portions

The Village Board of Trustees of Depew voted unanimously April 29 to adopt the 2026–27 budget and the tax rates presented at the special meeting.

The motion to adopt the budget was moved and read aloud by Trustee (S3), who said, “Look, I just wanna say that this budget reflects a lot of things, and we did the very best we could to make sure we got a fair agreement for our employees, which we're still working on with one more remaining union and a fair agreement for our residents.” The trustee read tax-rate figures for the Cheektowaga and Lancaster portions as recorded in the meeting record; the numeric values in the transcript appear garbled in places (see clarifying details).

The clerk conducted a roll-call vote and each named member recorded a yes vote; the chair announced the motion carried and the budget was adopted. A trustee who participated in drafting the budget said the board held multiple meetings to reach a compromise and that the increase was kept “under 1.4% for Cheektowaga and under 7% for Lancaster.” The trustee also said the board reduced reliance on fund balance compared with prior years to preserve reserves for emergencies.

Board members said the budget accounts for rising costs including fuel, road materials (rock and salt), health insurance and garbage pickup. No formal amendments or changes were reported at the meeting; one union contract remained under negotiation, according to a trustee’s remarks.

The meeting adjourned at 7:14 p.m. after a seconded motion to close.