Lewisboro board approves 2025 budget

SOUTH SALEM, N.Y. - The Town of Lewisboro’s budget for 2025 will total almost $16.6 million, as a result of a vote by the Town Board on Monday, Dec. 9. That unrounded actual number is $16,580,817.

The voting took place during a public hearing on the budget set for that date, which also doubled as the board’s regular bimonthly meeting. The meeting also served as a public hearing on the state’s 2.49 percent tax cap and the opening session of a public hearing on a variety of zoning amendments proposed as part of the comprehensive planning process earlier in the year. The latter hearing was continued at the Town Board’s Dec. 16 meeting.

During the session, Town Supervisor Tony Gonçalves pointed out the town’s share accounts for a relatively small portion of the typical Lewisboro homeowner’s tax bill. Using his own house as an example, Gonçalves noted that the town accounts for approximately 9 percent and Westchester County taxes account for almost 11 percent of the bill. 

A whopping 75 percent goes to fund the operations of the Katonah-Lewisboro School District. The Town Board has no jurisdiction over taxes levied by the county and the school board.

Gonçalves pointed out that by applying $540,000 of the budget surplus to the upcoming year’s budget, the town will be able to stay within the 2.49 percent maximum tax-increase cap mandated by the State of New York for municipalities. Moreover, the biggest budget increase in the coming year will be allocated to the town’s highway department. 

Deputy Town Supervisor Mary Shah noted that the adopted budget represented a lot of hard work and compromise by both the board and by town departments. She also said the board acted conservatively in allocating just $540,000 of the $740,000 surplus money to the budget. This move kept the town’s tax-rate increase at 2.35 percent, a fraction below the 2.49 percent state cap. 

“Every single department head has had to readjust … and this is not a cut-free budget,” said Shah. “I'm thrilled beyond belief to have the paving budget back up to $600,000. You can see what the highway department [under Superintendent John Winter] has done and it's phenomenal.”

The Lewisboro Library also received a significant boost in its allocation – 12.66 percent – to $612,933 for 2025. The 2024 figure was $544,055. Rob Cummings from South Salem was one of those who spoke in favor of the library increase. 

“The library is the key to an intelligent community,” Cummings said. “There are children’s programs, there was an anti-bullying program two weeks ago, I've been to a number of comedy shows, and there was a jazz performance. It's a cultural hub and we don't have a lot of cultural hubs in this community.” 

Maggie Liegey of South Salem, president of the library’s board of trustees, wrote a letter to the Town Board urging them to approve the library’s funding request, which would among other things restore the library's hours to pre-pandemic levels. 

“Opening seven days a week including a reopening on Sundays and one late evening a week will make us more accessible to patrons who cannot visit the library on weekdays,” she said.
Commenting on the overall budget, Barbara Mangione of Goldens Bridge noted surplus funds kept the overall total lower. 

“It could have been looked at with more of a fine-tooth comb, line by line,” Mangione said. “You could have gotten more reductions across the board and kept the same quality services that we've had in the past.”

Because the tax increase was kept under the 2.49 percent cap, the subject of that public hearing was rendered moot, and that public hearing was closed after the budget approval vote. Among other business, the board took up an agenda item from earlier in 2024: a social-media policy for its employee handbook.

Several board members had expressed concern that people who work for the town in any capacity clarify that their social-media posts should not be interpreted as speaking on behalf of the town. Ultimately, the board approved several paragraphs from the draft policy, with Councilman Dan Welsh casting the sole ‘no’ vote.

“So what we have is, ‘employees who publish personal or professional opinions must not invoke their Town of Lewisboro title and not representing the Town of Lewisboro,’” Councilman Rich Sklarin noted in introducing the resolution. 

The policy language further stated that in such cases users must use a disclaimer to clarify that any social-media posting would be the individual’s own remarks – and not the position of the town. 

Employees, elected officials, and volunteers are further urged to avoid making discriminatory, defamatory, or harassing comments when using social media.

Among its other business the Town Board okayed the following resolutions:

Appointing Nancy Bachana to the Open Space and Preserves Advisory Committee. Her term expires at the end of 2025.

Authorizing KSCJ Consulting to prepare a request for quotes for the Oscaleta culvert project, which the town anticipates will be reimbursed through a New York State grant.

Approving the town’s one-year update to its Stormwater Management Program.

Authorizing the town supervisor to sign a letter of intent to participate in Westchester County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan.

Appointing Dr. Armond Collins as the Town of Lewisboro THRIVE representative.

Shah and Rendo are part of THRIVE, an organization that aims to prevent drug use and boost mental wellness in Lewisboro, Pound Ridge, and Bedford. 

“Let me just say we could use two more people on THRIVE,” Shah said. “We hope to expand to provide this care to grownups as well. So, reach out if you're interested.”