The Gallatin Town Board adopted a nearly $2 million budget for 2027 at its Oct. 20 meeting, restoring the town’s property tax levy to its level before a one-year tax holiday.
The town will collect $390,398 in property taxes, up 71% from $228,064 in 2026. The increase follows a temporary reduction that returned money collected for a proposed Town Hall after the board abandoned the project.
The 71% increase applies to the total amount the town collects in property taxes, not necessarily to each property owner’s town tax bill. It also does not represent a 71% increase in a resident’s combined town, county, school, and other property taxes.
Total appropriations will rise about 9.3%, from $1,814,381 in 2026 to $1,983,813 in 2027.
The 2026 tax holiday, adopted under former Supervisor John Reilly, returned tax revenue collected over five years for the proposed Town Hall. The board decided in 2025 not to build it.
“Looking at the other towns in Columbia County, by not raising taxes and trying to give tax holidays, the towns have been lining up in a bit of financial distress,” Supervisor Tara Silberberg said. “So we’re trying to avoid that eventuality and make sure that our budget is covered.”
Before adopting the preliminary budget as its final spending plan, the board voted 5-0 to approve a local law overriding the state’s property tax levy limit.
New York’s tax cap generally limits annual growth in a local government’s property tax levy to 2% or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower, subject to adjustments and exclusions. The base limit for 2027 is 2%. A town board can override its calculated levy limit by adopting a local law with support from at least 60% of its members.
Building projects and operating costs
The budget includes $500,000 for building projects that Silberberg said the town set aside when plans for a new Town Hall were dropped. The money could pay for deferred maintenance, including basement repairs, and additional storage space for files.
Funding for the Highway Department’s snow removal operations will increase by $20,000, from $50,000 to $70,000. The increase reflects a recent spike in road salt prices, from $69 to $95 per ton.
The budget also increases funding for attorney fees from $5,000 to $15,000. Silberberg said Reilly, an attorney, handled most of the town’s legal work himself. Because she is not an attorney, she said, the board wanted to ensure it had enough money to retain outside counsel if needed.
Separately, the budget eliminates a $40,000 allocation for a zoning lawyer.
Solar installation and Town Hall insulation
The board also approved hiring Aries Power, an Albany-based company, to install a ground-mounted solar array and battery backup system.
Silberberg said a $50,000 grant, $11,438 in rebates from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, and about $44,100 in federal incentives would help pay for the project.
The panels are expected to be installed by spring 2027. Once the system is operating, the town will be able to apply credits from the electricity it generates to the courthouse’s energy bills, she said.
Silberberg also reported that cellulose insulation had been installed at Town Hall. The board approved the work last month after asbestos abatement in August revealed that the building had no insulation.
The Town Board’s next meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17.