Lewisboro Board eyes 2027 budgets for Highway, Parks and Recreation

SOUTH SALEM, N.Y. - Budget season comes like clockwork every fall in Lewisboro, and the Town Board kicked off its annual review process with detailed presentations and discussions about budgets proposed by the town’s Parks and Recreation and Highway departments.

First up was Parks and Recreation, which is requesting a budget of $2.76 million for next year. That amount would represent a 3.8% increase over 2026. A key factor in the upcoming year’s budget has been the need to rent venues for recreational programs previously held at the former Lewisboro Elementary School.

The school closed in 2014, but Parks and Recreation had continued to use its gymnasium for programs, and town departments also occupied space there. Occupants had to move into new spaces earlier this year, and the Katonah-Lewisboro School District (KLSD) is currently converting the building into a prekindergarten facility following the passage of a bond resolution to fund the project. The conversion is expected to be completed in fall 2028.

“Regarding revenue and buildings, we are in negotiation with Prodigy Athletics for pickleball for the winter – and, hopefully, for pop-up programs,” said Recreation Superintendent Nicole Caviola. “We also have spoken with Grace Farms. We're going to try to utilize KLSD as much as possible, as much as they're willing to give us, for our indoor locations.”

In terms of expenses, Caviola said the department has experienced increased costs for gasoline, postage, employee education and conferences. Supplies and administrative costs have decreased slightly, she said, while software costs have remained level. The department is now rolling out a new mobile registration application called MyRec, which Caviola said will be less expensive to operate and maintain than the current program.

“We’ve started onboarding already, so we should be up and running before the holidays,” she said.

In terms of staffing, Caviola is requesting the addition of a groundskeeper in response to comments from participants about mowing sports fields.

“We currently only cut Town Park, but I would like to take over Onatru, Vista and Fox Valley so that we can easily coordinate field lining with all of our programs,” she said.

While the department saw an increase in costs for day camp counselors this past summer, other expenses decreased, resulting in a surplus for the program. She expects the same for 2027.

Asked by Councilwoman Julia Hadlock about participation trends, Caviola said there was an uptick in programs for younger children, but enrollment in teen programs is down.

Lewisboro Highway Superintendent John Winter followed, wearing a high-visibility yellow shirt to call attention to the need to invest in the town’s roads.

He called on the town to double its budget for road repairs from $600,000 in 2026 to $1.2 million in 2027. The department’s actual expenditures for 2026 have reached $1,161,000, but the Highway Department received a state grant of $370,000 to cover some of those costs.

“It's time to properly fund the investment of maintaining our town's infrastructure,” Winter said.

Using data from the department’s road-condition software, he noted that of the 97 miles of roadway townwide, 14 miles are classified as being in excellent condition. These mainly consist of roads repaved in the past five years.

Another 13.8 miles of roadway fall into the “good” category, while 28 miles are classified as fair, meaning they might require work but are salvageable. Another 30 miles are classified as “poor,” and 11 miles are considered “failed.”

Winter pointed out that a new technology the Highway Department is using, called FiberMat, can extend the life of roadways. FiberMat is a fiber-reinforced, stress-absorbing coating applied to road surfaces.

“I would say the roads that are good, we’ve got to crack seal,” Winter said. “The roads that are fair, we do fiber mat.”

Milling and repaving would be needed on the remaining roads classified as poor or failed, with the latter receiving priority.

Winter said most of the other line-item increases in the Highway Department’s proposed budget were attributable to rising costs beyond the department’s or town’s control. These included fuel, electricity, salt and certain contractual obligations.

Winter also wants the town to create a capital budget for particularly expensive purchases. He noted that even a pickup truck for the Highway Department can cost $80,000, while larger vehicles cost much more. A capital budget would enable the town and department to better plan for such expenditures.

“We need to have a plan in place to replace our aging fleet,” he said. “The residents of Lewisboro deserve better than to rely on multiple 20-plus-year-old plow trucks for plowing and salting after every storm. Our newest big truck is a 2020.”

Town Supervisor Tony Gonçalves noted that this is only the initial stage of the budget process.

“Once we put all the requested budgets together, Annie [Town Comptroller Annie Burnham] and I will take a look at the impact overall and then have follow-up meetings with department heads – and then, of course, take any feedback that the board may have.”

During the public comment portion of the meeting, Goldens Bridge resident Barbara Mangione called for the town to institute measures to mitigate traffic during upcoming roadwork on Route 22. She said residents favor an increased police presence and possibly the installation of a temporary traffic light while the work takes place.

“It's going to be a nightmare over here – it already is,” she said. “A temporary red light somewhere on 138 – I’m thinking Increase Miller might be an ideal spot – will kind of give a break to all that traffic flying east to west to get to 684. It'll also make going in and out of Increase Miller much safer – there’s a lot of cars just like at all the other elementary schools where people drop [children] off as well as the buses.”

Among other business, the board also approved the following measures:

• A $15,500 proposal from Duff Price Excavating LLC to repair a concrete slab at Fox Valley Park.

• An agreement with the Hudson Valley National Adult Baseball Association for use of the lower baseball field at Fox Valley Park.

• Phase 2 construction documents from KG+D Architects for the new Lewisboro Police Department headquarters.

• A one-year memorandum of agreement with Teamsters Local 456 as the bargaining unit, authorizing the town supervisor to sign it.