The Croton Board of Trustees spent its April 16 work session reviewing the 2026-2027 capital plan department by department, hearing from Public Works, fire, EMS, and police officials before settling on a tax levy of $13,822,004 — $82,543 under the state cap. The levy represents a 3.54% increase over the current year, Village Manager Bryan Healy said. The board planned to formally adopt the budget at its next regular meeting.

Roads and Paving

Superintendent of Public Works Frank Balbi opened the capital review with a $910,000 request for road repairs and curbs — nearly double the typical allocation. About $500,000 comes from New York State CHIPS funding, Balbi said, with the village adding more this year to catch up on its resurfacing program. "The extra $400,000 here was an indirect response to the results of the budget survey," Read 4:40▶ Healy said, referring to resident feedback calling for more infrastructure spending. Route 129, the state road running past the DPW facility, remains in poor condition despite repeated village requests to the state. Scott Marsh said he contacted the state Department of Transportation about deteriorating conditions. "I got zero response," Read 2:40▶ Marsh said. Healy said the village offered to use its own paving contractor on the road and seek reimbursement, but the state declined.

Farrington Road Steps

The Farrington Road steps, a historic staircase the village has owned since 1930, will get another attempt at rehabilitation. Last year's bids came in around $400,000 — well above the $150,000 budget. This year, the village is requesting $250,000 and plans a joint venture approach, splitting masonry work from in-house labor. "The numbers were astronomical," Read 6:47▶ Marsh said of the prior bids. He attributed the inflated costs partly to the tight deadline — bidding in June for work by Labor Day. The steps are cracked and do not meet current code but are not dangerous enough to close, Healy said.

Brook Street Drainage

A long-planned $1.4 million drainage project on Brook Street is moving forward, with Westchester County funding half the cost. "A really exciting project," Read 26:02▶ Healy said, noting that the aging culvert infrastructure under the street was never designed with modern stormwater management in mind. The village is coordinating with Con Edison, which plans to replace a gas main along the same route, so the road will only need to be paved once.

Snow Removal Upgrade

The capital plan includes a new loader to replace the village's 2013 model, which broke down during the biggest storm of the winter. The DPW is also requesting a snowblower attachment for the loader — equipment the village has never had. "We will never have to worry about a big storm ever again," Read 32:39▶ Marsh told the board. The snowblower would allow crews to load snow directly into dump trucks in a continuous path, eliminating the need to reverse and maneuver on narrow village roads. The department also recently acquired a new "hook and go" truck, which can carry interchangeable bodies for plowing, leaf removal, and other tasks. A $30,000 attachment package can upfit the truck for year-round use, compared to roughly $100,000 for a separate vehicle, Balbi noted.

Park Security Cameras

Security cameras at Croton Landing and Senasqua parks are back in the capital plan after being deferred last year, when the money was redirected to repairs at Jobs Field. Trustee Nora Nicholson asked what happened to the cameras funded in the previous budget. The discussion confirmed that the funds went to Jobs Field. The new cameras would be connected to the police department for monitoring.

Traffic Safety and Community Engagement

A bond resolution will fund pedestrian and vehicle safety improvements at the intersection of Old Post Road North and Michaels Lane, based on a recent traffic study. The design work will be done in-house. Trustee Stacey Nachtaler pressed for community engagement before the plan is finalized. "I would like this to be something that is somehow appears on an agenda so that if people wanna weigh in on what the proposed design is, there's opportunity to do that," Read 18:01▶ Nachtaler said. Healy noted that the village had sent letters to neighbors and encouraged public comments but received none. The board discussed holding an informal information session or community meeting, similar to outreach done for other projects.

Water Main Extension

Using settlement funds from PFAS litigation, the village plans to extend a water main from the water department up Route 129 to the DPW facility, which currently relies on a well. The extension would also serve the school bus garage and could support fire hydrants in the corridor. Healy said the PFAS settlement money made the long-delayed project possible after previous attempts to fund it through a federal grant and a partnership with the school district fell through.

Police Department Requests

Police Chief John Nikitopoulos outlined the department's needs, including two new four-wheel-drive SUVs at approximately $175,000, additional speed-monitoring signs, and body-worn cameras with a five-year contract total of $414,301. The department's most pressing request is a new digital radio system to replace its aging analog equipment. Officials described gaps in radio coverage throughout the village, including inside school buildings. "A major safety issue," Read 104:39▶ the chief said. The department previously sought a federal grant for the system but was not successful.

Budget Adjustments

In final adjustments, Healy increased the fuel budget to $185,000 citing market volatility, added $50,000 to the contingency fund, and appropriated an additional $25,000 from fund balance to reduce the levy. The board also restructured building permit fees, eliminating a middle pricing tier. Residential rates are set at $20 per $1,000 of construction value up to $500,000, then $15 per $1,000 above that. Commercial rates are $25 per $1,000 up to $500,000, then $20 per $1,000 above. Healy said updated budget documents would be distributed before the budget adoption vote.