Greenburgh board adopts 2026 preliminary budget after debate over raises and courthouse reserve

The Town Board of the Town of Greenburgh voted Dec. 17 to adopt the 2026 preliminary budget and a local law authorizing a property tax levy in excess of the limit set by General Municipal Law, after a lengthy exchange over salary increases and how previous budget “reserve” entries were handled.

Supervisor Feiner said he objected to several pay increases beyond a 2.9% cost-of-living adjustment and moved to delete those raises, which he said would cost taxpayers "over $100,000." Feiner said he would nevertheless vote for the budget so it could be adopted, but wanted his opposition to the unassigned raises noted on the record: "I’m going to vote for the budget, but I wanted to go on record opposing those aspects," he said.

Board members who serve as liaisons to departments defended specific raises as retention tools. One council member said recent raises and improved staffing had reduced outsourcing and saved money and warned the town risks losing experienced employees without competitive pay. "We need the best people we possibly can get," a council member said in favor of targeted increases.

The debate widened into a dispute about prior budgets that listed a large line called "reserve for courthouse." Several board members and an independent auditor told the board that earlier reserve line items had been rolled into an unrestricted fund balance at year-end rather than being legally restricted, leaving less money available for a courthouse project than residents had believed. One council member described a prior total of about $39 million that had dwindled to approximately $7.4 million after accounting and reserve treatment; the supervisor responded that budget adoption and reserve decisions are board actions and emphasized he lacks unilateral authority to implement or restrict budget lines.

The board heard specific budget figures during the discussion: the A fund was described at roughly $25.5 million and the B fund at about $109 million. Supervisor Feiner urged reactivating or creating a citizens' budget committee and asked the board to look for additional savings and tighter oversight in 2026.

After debate, the board moved TB1 (authorization for the levy in excess of the statutory limit under General Municipal Law) and then TB2 (adoption of the 2026 preliminary budget as modified by agreed slip-sheet changes). Both measures passed; the chair announced the budget was adopted unanimously.

Why it matters: The adopted budget requires a tax levy above the statutory limit and contains targeted salary increases the supervisor opposed publicly; questions raised during the meeting about whether prior "reserve" entries were properly restricted may influence future capital projects such as a courthouse and police headquarters. The board set a follow-up schedule and agreed to post budget-related resolutions and any controller-related materials on the town website.

Next steps: Board members asked the comptroller and staff to prioritize capital spending for 2026 and consider whether a reactivated or new advisory body should review the budget. The board also scheduled a special meeting for a controller-related resolution to be posted on the town website.

Actions and authorities: The agenda items involved a local law under General Municipal Law (TB1) authorizing a property tax levy in excess of the statutory limit and the formal adoption of the 2026 preliminary budget (TB2). Supervisor Feiner moved deletion of select salary increases and later moved the TB2 adoption; the motions were seconded and the board voted to adopt the budget. The record shows the board adopted the budget and related capital and tax measures during the same meeting.