Village Board approves $27.2M budget

By MARTIN WILBUR

Mount Kisco residents will see a tax rate increase of 1.99 percent after the village board approved its $27.2 million budget Monday night for the 2025-26 fiscal year.

No major changes were announced for the spending plan this past week after a series of small cuts were factored in during an April 9 work session. But officials revealed that the village will delay completion of the final phase of the streetscape plan because of insufficient funds for the project.

Mayor J. Michael Cindrich called this year’s budget process challenging as bills for many of the capital projects are coming due.

“For me, this has been a very difficult year, year-and-a-half on budgets,” Cindrich said. “As many of you who have taken the time to review the budget, I’ve had this conversation with some of the residents, we have debt, we have close to $3 million in principal and interest that we have to pay. I appreciate all the improvements but somebody has to pay for them.”

During the work session before the vote, Village Manager Edward Brancati told the board that the remaining portion of the original $5 million and other work that the village had on hand would not be able to complete the streetscape project along South Moger Avenue. An additional $4 million in fresh borrowing would be needed to finish the job, he said. That would likely be split over the next two years, and if done after June 1, would not result in any additional expenses for the upcoming fiscal year.

The final phase of the streetscape will be started this year from Main Street to Kirby Plaza and then on the east side of the street from Main Street to about the Starbucks, Brancati said. When the additional funds are obtained, the village would complete the streetscape, which includes upgrades to the aesthetics of the avenue to the intersection of Green Street.

Work at Leonard Park and replacement of the Barker Street culvert will be completed from the initial $5 million.