As you may be aware, the Chester Town Board has recently concluded its 2025 budget. We appreciate all the input and feedback received directly and throughout our public hearings. The Town Board passed the final budget earlier this month and on November 20, I handed that budget into Orange County.
If you have been coming to our regular meetings or watching them online, you know that we are taking the necessary steps to resolve a number of financial challenges that have been building over several years and, like other towns in our area, face new financial obligations ahead in 2025 driven by changes in both New York State legislation and the overall economy. However, we still were able to accomplish a lot given the circumstances.
Budget accomplishments
The Town Board and Village Board voted to have a dedicated ambulance service. I’m incredibly proud to say that we have included this in the budget. Next year, our average response times should see a dramatic decrease which will increase the quality of life in Chester.
In keeping with putting families first, the Town Board has prioritized and expanded its summer camp options. Not only will we be providing a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. summer camp, but we are also expanding into our theater and film camps at the SLPAC. I promised we would invest in our children’s programs, and we are doing exactly that.
In addition, the town added the Friendly Visitor Program which will provide volunteers to our community to assist seniors in need with grocery shopping, transportation to appointments, etc. Thanks to a generous donation of one of our residents, this program was added at no cost to the taxpayer.
To build off the progress made at Chester Commons Park, we are making investments in additional seed and a winter tarp to promote growth in our widely used sports field.
Councilman Courtenay, our town comptroller, Town Clerk Zappala, and I all worked to secure a new insurance broker and carrier that will prevent an $80,000 increase in next year’s budget for our insurance expenses.
Finally, I secured a $400,000 grant through Senator Skoufis to pay for sidewalks on Kings Highway in Sugar Loaf which will offset all, if not most, costs to the taxpayers.
Fiscal challenges
We have worked diligently to reduce costs in all areas of government. We’ve cut down on overtime, cut out unnecessary items from the budget and operating expenses, and hired less costly professional services. Nevertheless, there are significant baseline obligations that have been the driving force behind cost increases to the town.
Waste removal
In 2023, the town signed a five-year contract with Interstate Waste Services (IWS) for waste-removal services. That contract called for a 19% ($200,000) increase from 2024 to 2025, around $10 per household. Future increases for the rest of the contract are much smaller, around $2 per household.
Sewage
The town’s sewage system, Moodna, is a collective of three municipalities for which the town is allowed two representatives on its board. Due to increases in operating expenses, unrecorded liabilities which went unpaid from years past, a reserve account increase, paying off debt for the creation of the district infrastructure and a repair/upgrade for the Surrey Meadows Pump Station has resulted in a budget increase of $350,000 this year.
Both increases were beyond the Town Board’s control.
Preparing responsibly for the future
Your Town Board is charged with ensuring the health, safety, and prosperity of Chester’s residents – both today and in the future. This means that we are committed to supporting necessary services and managing our finances sustainably and prudently.
Rebuilding Chester’s financial future
For several years the town has been operating with budget deficits, utilizing its rainy-day funds to balance the budget. With the rising costs of insurance, healthcare, salaries, costs of living, and depleted reserves, it became clear that these budget deficits were unsustainable.
So, this year as the budget officer, I went back to the drawing board with my finance team. I rebuilt the budget from the ground up, providing the same services while cutting wasteful spending. In 2025 the town will look to implement a new fund balance policy to ensure that when the town utilizes its rainy-day funds, we are not sacrificing the town’s future or burdening future taxes to pay for past mistakes and allow for better financial management.
Managing our EMS Tax District
The town and village boards agreed it was necessary for the health and safety of our residents to provide ambulance services. As a result of creating this district, response times for emergency calls will dramatically improve, which is the difference between life and death. On average, households will be paying around $181/year for a dedicated ambulance, around $15/month. We will decide on what type of service we want to see next year very shortly.
Looking to 2026 and beyond
This is a course correction year. When I started in January, we faced hundreds of thousands of dollars of liabilities that weren’t budgeted for or accounted for, and we were months behind on payments to our vendors. It was clear from the start we had to fix what was broken and we will continue the process we started in January through 2025 and beyond. With the adjustments made this year and in next year’s budget, we strongly believe that the town’s financial footing will be stronger and more resilient as we move forward. The Town Board and I will fight as hard as we can to save you as much money as possible, while providing the best services possible.
If you have any questions or concerns, you can find the full budget here: chester-ny.gov/ova_doc/2025-adopted-budget/.
Please do not hesitate to visit my office, call, or email me any time!
Brandon Holdridge, Supervisor
Town of Chester