=== EXECUTIVE BRIEF === • Approved treasurer's report: $497,615.63 across all funds • Adopted Local Law No. 2 of 2026: property tax cap override authorization (routine, no intent to override) • Adopted Local Law No. 3 of 2026: created Chapter 9 (Auditor) in village code; appointed village manager to the role with no additional compensation • Approved consent agenda including National Police Week recognition, zoning code cleanup shifting special permit reviews to planning board, and boarding/rooming permit fees • Village manager announced dog park hours will remain unchanged from 2021
Resident Ed Riely addresses the Board Of Trustees during discussion of the consent agenda item to mark National Police Week.
Resident Ed Riely addresses the Board Of Trustees during discussion of the consent agenda item to mark National Police Week.
Rich Ellison, Croton's top EMS responder, stepped up to the podium Tuesday night to a round of applause — and a gentle scolding from resident Ed Riely, who later told the board that volunteers who race to emergencies at all hours deserve "something better than a lousy piece of paper." 25:39▶ "Give them a real good medal," Riely said. The moment captured the warmth — and occasional edge — of the February 4 Board of Trustees meeting, where the evening's emotional high point was the recognition of EMS volunteers who handled mounting call volumes in 2025. One trustee shared that EMS arrived at the scene before she did when her daughter was hit by a car while riding her bike. Another noted that roughly 50 young people are on a waiting list to join the training program. Mayor Brian Pugh also announced that a referendum to expand the LOSAP program to EMS members will appear on the November ballot. But the meeting took a more bureaucratic turn shortly after, when the board opened a public hearing on Local Law No. 1 of 2026 — a routine authorization to override the state property tax cap if necessary. Nobody on the board actually wants to override the cap, and it's only been done once in 14 years. Still, the agenda item alone was enough to draw Riely to the microphone. "Do you have any plans to override the tax cap?" he asked pointedly, before urging the board to push back publicly against inflationary policies from higher levels of government. "You should respond publicly to that. You don't have to call them out by party, but say, look, get this damn thing under control." 13:39▶ Ed Riely noted the irony: "Every year, this comes up and people are like, oh my god, we're gonna override the tax cap." She urged staff to communicate more proactively about the law's purely precautionary nature. 15:49▶ The board also adopted a new local law creating the office of village auditor — essentially codifying the existing practice of having staff review invoices before they reach the board. The village manager will fill the role at no additional pay. Ironically, not a single resident commented on the new auditor position during its public hearing, despite the board having just discussed how other local governments are under scrutiny from the state comptroller. In other business, the village manager reported that DPW crews have been starting at 4 a.m. to tackle snow removal, with Duck Pond now open for skating on 12-inch-thick ice. The Quaker Bridge replacement is still awaiting Army Corps of Engineers approval, and the 25 South Riverside apartment building has applied for temporary certificates of occupancy. Residents displaced by the Barry Manor fire will wait longer — the building failed its latest inspection. What to watch for:
  • Budget priorities survey arriving by email through February 20
  • Duck Pond skating open (green flag up); evening skating under lights delayed until next week pending warmer temperatures
  • Quaker Bridge update expected within weeks once Army Corps approval arrives
  • Village offices closed February 16 for Presidents' Day; garbage picked up Tuesday that week
  • Sign up for Everbridge alerts at crotononhudson.gov for snow removal notifications in your neighborhood
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