Village Budget to Fund Infrastructure Repairs

It's budget season for both the Scarsdale Schools and the village, where the village budget is approximately one third the size of the school budget. Village Treasurer Mary Lou McClure estimates that the Village budget for fiscal year 2016-17 will be $55.4 million, which represents a 3.69% increase over last year. On average this represents a $248 increase in your Village tax bill. 

Water service charges and sewer rates will also rise, and these fees will be used for replacement of the village's aging infrastructure. This year, the village will do a complete evaluation of the sanitary sewer lines to identify pipes that need to be fixed or relined and to find illicit connections to the sewer lines.

The 2015-16 budget included $1.7 million for road repairs. To date about $1.1 million of that has been spent, and the Village expects to do the balance of the repairs this spring. Next year's budget will include about $975,000 for road repair.

The Heathcote Road Bridge will undergo structural repairs and repaving at an estimated cost of $1.5 million. Unlike the Crane Road Bridge project that was funded by the county, the Heathcote Road Bridge repairs will be funded by the village.

The salt shed at the Central Maintenance Facility will be replaced at a cost of $250,000. The village is also planning to renovate the Fire Training Burn Building at the same site which is used to train firefighters.

Funds will be spent to improve both Wayside Cottage and the Girl Scout House. The floors will be sanded and refinished at Wayside Cottage and landscaping will be done, while the Girl Scout House will get new siding and trim.

Another big ticket item for the Village this year involves our water infrastructure. The roof of the tank at the Ardsley Road Pumping Station will be replaced at a cost of $1.4 million. The Village received a grant of $1,050,000 for the Sheldrake River and Cayuga Pond Detention project. The grant requires Scarsdale to put in 25% more, so the Village Will contribute $350,000 resulting in a $1.4 million project to improve drainage, water quality and detention in this area.

What else is included in the budget?

After a special study by an ad hoc committee, the Village has allocated $100,000 for an LED streetlight pilot program which involves conversion to LED lights in portions of the Village and testing of LED's on Scarsdale streets.

A new fire truck will be ordered this year. The total cost is estimated at $440,000 and will be paid for over a two-year period. Plus two new police cruisers will be purchased.

According to Village Treasurer and Town Custodian of Taxes, Mary Lou McClure, Scarsdale has an unusually high tax collection rate. There are virtually no delinquencies and 99% of taxes levied are collected.

These are just a few of the many items funded in the Village budget. To learn more about where your tax dollars go, attend a meeting of the Village Finance Committee on Tuesday March 8 at 6:30 pm at Scarsdale Village Hall.