The Ancram town board approved its 2026 Final Budget at a Nov. 20 meeting.
Combining highway and general funds, the budget totals $2,066,581, close to their 2025 adopted budget of $2,030,636, about a 1.8 percent rise.
“We’ve done a lot of work on the budget,” said board member David Boice. “There were compromises, and I think that was a good thing.”
Major expenditures include added costs for town employees, some of whom are getting raises, such as the Town Clerk ($1,136 raise), Street Administration such as the highway department ($2,095 raise), and Parks and Recreation personnel ($1,080 raise).
Other non-personnel expenses include $40,000 for building costs (up from $30,000) and $25,000 for legal services fees (up from $20,000). In the highway department, $20,000 was added to the equipment budget, totaling $341,000, as well as roughly $10,000 added to the retirement budget ($44,563), and $15,000 added to the medical insurance budget ($115,000).
Major income streams in the general fund include sales tax, predicted at $420,000 compared to $339,989 collected in 2025 as of Oct. 31., and building and alternation permits at $90,000.
Highway department income includes roughly $680,000 in real property taxes, as well as $341,000 in state aid, through New York State’s Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS), $20,000 more than 2025.
The general fund budget is roughly $19,000 lower than the budget last year. For the highway budget, the 2026 budget is roughly $55,000 higher than 2025, due to the increased budgeting for highway equipment, retirement funds, and medical insurance.
After a 3.65% property tax raise, the budget predicts $756,778 to be raised in taxes, with roughly $53,000 of that revenue to come from special districts such as the library.
In other business, board member Colleen Lutz spoke about ongoing efforts to incorporate green energy in the town. On Oct. 18, with the help of the Capital District Regional Planning Commission, Lutz sent out a call for proposals for solar projects in Ancram. The call for proposals included three options: New solar panels on the roof of the Town Hall, solar panels on the roof of the newly built Blass Field pavilion, or an electric vehicle charging port at the town hall. Solar energy company SunCommon responded with a proposal for the pavilion roof that would cost the town an estimated $100,276. The panels, SunCommon estimates, would generate $422,875 of electricity over a 25-year period.
No decision was made by the board. “I’m concerned about only having one estimate,” said Lutz.
A motion by board member Amy Gold will enlist the town’s tech department to create .gov email addresses for town board members, who have been using personal email addresses to conduct town business.
“Using official town email addresses is crucial for maintaining professionalism, ensuring security, and creating a clear, organized record of official communications,” said Gold. The board hopes to have the new email addresses ready by Jan. 1.
The next board meeting is scheduled at 7 p.m. on Dec. 18.