Tentative FY 2026-27 Budget Outlined
By Stephen E. Lipken
Mayor Chance Mullen called the April 14th Board meeting to order, beginning with Trustee Allison Anderson reporting that the DPW finished filling potholes, using over 28.5 tons of blacktop and is cleaning leaves on the streets through end of the month.
Trustee Krystal Howell stated that the Fire Department recommends having fire extinguishers in homes, especially during grilling season. She mentioned that “fire adjusters” may show up during a fire and try to get homeowners to sign paperwork. “Please do not sign anything,” Howell stressed.
The Tentative Budget for Fiscal Year 2026-27 is $20,373,083, an increase of $1,755,414 or 9.43% over the Adopted Budget. To support the Budget, the Village tax rate for Homestead Parcels will increase by 0.33 or 3.62%. A homeowner whose home is assessed at the average Village-wide assessed value of $1,092,441 would pay roughly $7,386 in Village taxes in FY 2026-27, representing a $1,040 year-to-year increase. Village government taxes represent 25% of a Pelham homeowner’s property tax bill.
The Budget has two main components—revenues and expenditures. The amount to be raised by taxes, or the tax levy, results from budgeted expenditures minus non-property tax revenues (including estimates of delinquent taxes and interest from prior years, State grant revenue and amount to be raised by tax revenue). Village tax rates are then calculated using the Grand List to distribute the tax burden.
The Village of Pelham’s revenue budget is divided into eleven major service areas. Changes in the Budget from the FY2025-26 Adopted Budget for those areas of service are as follows: Real Property Tax increase, Non-Property Tax Revenue: 21.91% increase, Departmental Income: 1.46% increase, Charges: 3.33% increase, Use of Money and Property: no change, Licenses and Permits: -1.54%. Forfeitures: no change, Sale of Property and Compensation for Loss: -4.27% decrease, Miscellaneous: flat and Federal Aid: flat.
The Village’s expenditure budget is divided into nine major service areas, Change in the 2026-27 Tentative Budget from the FY2025-26 Adopted Budget for those areas of service are as follows: Support: 20.43% increase, Special Items: 49.79% increase, Public Safety: -33% decrease, Transportation, -12% increase, Culture and Recreation: -93% decrease, Home and Community Services: 1.45% increase, Employee Benefits, 14.14% increase, Debt Service: 40.53% increase and Inter-Fund Transfers remain unchanged.