Concern over proposed boosts in water, parking rates

By MARTIN WILBUR

Comments criticizing proposed hikes in water and sewer rates and the potential for another parking meter increase were aired at Monday evening’s public hearing on Mount Kisco’s tentative $28.3 million tentative village budget for 2026-27.

Water rates for the average customer are anticipated to rise by about $104 to $891.44 in the new fiscal year, a more than 13% increase, while sewer charges are slated to rise from $227.88 to $236.81.

Meanwhile, the village is also considering an increase to park to $1 an hour when rates are in effect from Monday through Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., in most locations. Parking was increased from 50 to 75 cents an hour after Jan. 1.

Theresa Flora, a former deputy mayor, said the proposed water rate increase coming on the heels of a 7% increase agreed to last year for the current budget comes at a time when the village is forced to supplement its supply with unfiltered water from the Leonard Park wells. Small, incremental increases should have been levied over time rather than having the village hurt taxpayers. Mount Kisco also finds itself falling into a recurring pattern of failing to make infrastructure improvements until it’s more costly.

“We seem to have an issue with leaving our infrastructure until it’s at critical mass, and it’s not appropriate for the taxpayers to suffer the consequences of that with a massive rate increase,” Flora said.

Another resident, Lou Terlizzi, accused the village of “accounting gimmicks” in the tentative budget by increasing costs for fees and permits. He was irked by the “exorbitant” water rate increase when the village is under water restrictions, including prohibition on using water outside as the warm weather approaches.

Terlizzi also pointed to the proposed parking rate hike as business owners have been faced with multiple challenges, including a cold and snowy winter and the long-term closure of the Preston Way bridge. If approved, that would amount to a doubling of the parking rate since December.

“The current budget makes Mount Kisco more unaffordable,” Terlizzi said.

Mayor J. Michael Cindrich said the village began raising water rates in the 1990s in anticipation of possibly needing a filtration plant in the village. 

“Now, it may be prudent that what we’re doing is because the Leonard Park wells may have to be filtered,” Cindrich said. “That means we either have to find another source of water as opposed to the Leonard Park wells, or we invest in a filtration plan within the village.”

Regarding the parking meter hikes, Village Manager Ed Brancati said at a March 30 Village Board budget work session that the 75 cents an hour was still the least expensive of communities that charge for parking. The increase would put Mount Kisco in line with other municipalities.

During the hearing, Cindrich read a letter from resident and Economic Development Council member Joseph Cambareri, who outlined four proposals for the board to consider. One request would be to encourage Westchester County Police to shift to more visible walking beats in the downtown and school zones to enhance public safety. Another would be for officials to find ways to increase the unassigned fund balance from the estimated $2.65 million to closer to the recommended 17% of the general fund.

Cambareri also asked for the $670,000 in annual library debt payments to be used in the future toward “quality-of-life issues” and to emphasize advocacy efforts with the New York State Department of Transportation to repair the department’s roads. The upcoming fiscal year that starts June 1 will complete the debt for the library renovation project from nearly 20 years ago.

Resident John Rhodes called on the board to find more money for people suffering from alcohol and drug addiction, a problem that is hurting quality of life.

“I think it’s a matter of priorities, and certainly it’s a priority for me and a lot of other people in town,” Rhodes said. “We can make it a priority to either shift budget toward that or prioritize our grant applications to satisfy that need because it’s a critical need.”

A request from resident Michael McGuirk asked for increased funding for the Mount Kisco Arts Council. The council has received $10,000 a year since 2019.

Cindrich said he has concerns about the budget, and doesn’t want to make the village an uninviting place for residents and visitors. 

“There’s a lot of requests that have been made, there’s a lot of debt that we’ve incurred, there are a lot of expenses that we’ve incurred, and it’s going to be a challenge for this coming fiscal year,” Cindrich said.

The public hearing was closed except for written comments through the end of next week. Another work session is tentatively scheduled for this Monday, April 13, followed by a meeting April 20 and a special meeting, if necessary, on April 27. The budget must be approved by the board by May 1.

To view the tentative budget, visit the Finance Department page on the village’s website at mountkiscony.gov.