$10.8 million town budget OK’d for 2026

By THANE GRAUEL

The Town Board on Tuesday unanimously passed a $10.8 million budget for 2026.

With a 1.9% increase, the budget is $47,721 under the state’s tax cap. 

The budget has an increase in appropriations of $381,926, or 3.6%, and an increase in revenues of $191,000, or 5%. 

“We’ve stayed under the cap for the ninth year in a row,” Finance Director Steve Conti said. 

The Town Board closed its public hearing on the budget before passing it.

The discussion was not lengthy, but there were some questions and comments from the public.

John Nathan — a local lawyer who has an open meetings suit against the town and its handling of the state’s cannabis opt-out under appeal — asked about the legal costs for all actions pending against Pound Ridge.

“What I didn’t see was any budgetary item for the four pending lawsuits against the town,” he said, listing his case, a challenge to the Water District’s formation that also is on appeal, a zoning case and a case involving a serious bicycle accident.

“Where do I go and find the budget for the legal fees since the supervisor made a point of talking about legal fees in his last supervisor’s newsletter?” Nathan asked. “I’d like to know what’s being spent on these other litigations and I don’t want to have to go through the (Freedom of Information Act) process.”

Conte said extra money had been put in a contingency account.

“Legal has obviously spiked the last few years,” Conte said. “It was trending at like $15,000 forever, $15,000 to $20,000, so we put some more money in contingency to cover that.”

“Right now, year to date, it’s $83,409,” Supervisor Kevin Hansan said, adding that it was in the full budget document on the town’s website. Hansan said the bicycle accident case was being taken over by the insurance carrier.

The amount budgeted for other three suits is $40,000, Nathan said after looking at the documents, doubting that would be enough. Hansan referred back to the comptroller’s earlier comments, saying the town would have sufficient money, including contingency funds, to cover unforeseen legal expenses. 

“We have $120,000 in contingency,” Conte said.

John McCown, who recently lost his second bid for town supervisor running on the Pound Ridge Party line, said  Pound Ridge’s budget didn’t disclose spending details that some towns spell out, particularly line items for health care expenditures. 

He noted the town provides health coverage for the supervisor, Town Board members and its two lawyers. Lewisboro, he said, identifies those expenses in the annual budget while Pound Ridge does not. “I don’t think most people are aware that our board gets health benefits, and I’m not knocking that,” he said. “I know that’s been forever ... but I think that should be disclosed.”

Hansan thanked him for his comment.

After the board passed the spending plan, Hansan thanked the members.

“It is a lot of work,” he said, “going through each department to understand their needs and it’s not always fun saying no to them because they have desires to do certain things and sometimes you just make the decisions.”