Property taxes in Ancram will rise by 3.65% in 2026, generating just under $25,000 in additional revenue — an average increase of about $20 per property.
The Town Board approved the change during a Final 2026 Budget Workshop on Nov. 17, attended by Budget Officer Steve Olyha, member-elect Jen Boice, former board candidate Rick Dubray, and two residents. The action follows three adjustments made since October that reduced the amount the town expects to draw from its $1.2 million cash reserve next year to $185,000.
Board member Dave Boice, who requested the workshop, said he was concerned about additions made to the budget between the preliminary version in September and the tentative one released in October.
The town’s Financial Advisory Council, led by Olyha and Supervisor Jim MacArthur, meets monthly to review expenses and recommend adjustments. Olyha has been gathering detailed cost information from staff and volunteers overseeing the pool and summer camp, the Planning Board and ZBA, the building department, the court, and other departments.
At its November meeting, the advisory council examined rising salary, insurance, and retirement costs, along with the 5% tax cut enacted in 2025 and a 14-year pattern of flat or reduced taxes. With only one dissenting member, the council recommended the 2026 tax increase.
A key point of discussion involved the Blass Field pavilion, a project Dave Boice has opposed throughout the year. The tentative budget lowered the pavilion line from $50,000 to $31,000. Supervisor-elect Colleen Lutz said the reduced figure reflected the cost of connecting the structure to electricity, noting the town had received only a single $31,000 bid. After debate, the board agreed to zero out the line item and to consider a separate vote on electrification once more bids are available, drawing from reserves if the work proceeds.
The board also reduced spending on town communications — which includes website upgrades and the printing of three annual issues of the Ancram News — saving $10,000. The advisory council recommended shifting primarily to electronic newsletters with a limited run of printed copies available at Town Hall. A $7,500 entry for “youth program equipment,” believed to be a typographical error, was removed.
Two increases from the preliminary budget were affirmed. The board maintained $10,000 for the food pantry van and driver operated weekly by the Ancram Neighbors Helping Neighbors Association, replacing federal funds that previously supported the service. The board also kept an increase in the pool lifeguard salary allocation, from $18,000 to $23,000, matching the town’s 2025 spending.
Pool Director Jen Boice said higher wages are necessary to compete with other employers. Salaries, she noted, must keep pace with places like Taghkanic Lake, which draw from the same limited pool of lifeguard applicants.
Dave Boice also raised concerns about proposed increases to board and supervisor compensation, which had been discussed in October but scaled back in the latest revisions.
Following a public hearing, the final 2026 budget was adopted on Nov. 20.