Patterson Considers 3.74% Spending Increase in 2026

By Holly Crocco

Patterson Town Supervisor Richard Williams is proposing a $16.5 million budget for 2026, which represents a 3.74 percent increase in spending.

He also proposes using $1.19 million from the unexpended fund balance.

“This budget year by far has been the most difficult tentative budget to prepare,” Williams said at the Sept. 10 Patterson Town Board meeting. “While our costs are increasing, revenues are static. We do not anticipate any significant increase in any of the revenue lines.”

He said the tentative budget does not include any revenue from the sales tax sharing agreement announced earlier this year by the county.

“Next year we hope to see funding from the historic agreement that allows Putnam towns and villages to receive a small percentage of the county’s sales tax,” explained Williams. “However, those funds are restricted to local infrastructure projects and capital improvements. Due to a number of uncertainties with the program, those funds have not been included in the budget.”

The supervisor went on to cite the rising cost of food, fuel, and electric and how that not only impacts the budget, but households.

“Our employees are feeling the effects of the rising costs, as do all New Yorkers,” he said. “To try to keep pace, the tentative budget includes a 3 percent increase in wages which is keeping in line with the current rate of inflation.”

Further, Williams explained that the Watchtower Educational Center has – for the first time since 1988 – filed for a tax exemption for its property.

“It was a commitment they made while doing an environmental review where the town was very concerned about the loss of taxable revenue from them taking such a massive area of our town off the tax rolls,” he explained. At that time, the center intended to sell the property to a private developer, which never happened.

It has since paid taxes on the property.

“This year they have filed for exempt status (since it is a religious organization) for the property, reneging on a commitment they made to the town,” said Williams. “We have challenged their decision, but we have to plan for the worst, in that the court will not support our position.”

This would lead to an $85,000 loss of revenue to the town, he said.

Also, the New York State comptroller has stated that in 2026, the state will impose a 20 percent increase on the town’s contribution rates for the state’s retirement fund. “This alone is an $83,000 impact,” said Williams.

In addition, New York State Electric & Gas is proposing a residential rate increase of 23.7 percent and a nonresidential rate increase of 17.2 percent. “Although the rate case has not been settled, we anticipate our electric and natural gas costs increasing next year by at least 11 percent,” he said.

Lastly, the contract for Garbage District 1 in Putnam Lake is up this year and the town will need to contend with bidding for services in a new contract.

Work sessions with department heads to further develop the budget are scheduled in the coming weeks, with a public hearing scheduled Oct. 8.

To view the budget, visit pattersonny.org/PDFs/Budgets/TentativeBudget2026.pdf.