Credit: Patrick Grego
At its Oct. 17 meeting, the Pine Plains Town Board unanimously passed a local law to override the town’s existing 2% tax cap on property taxes — a routine precaution taken by municipalities to allow budget flexibility. While the resolution passed with a 5-0 vote, town officials emphasized that it was a protective measure, unlikely to be used. The board also approved the 2025 tentative budget without opposition.
Town Attorney Warren Replansky explained the reasoning behind the tax cap override. “Almost every municipality I represent passes this,” Replansky said. “So that during the budget process, if there’s a need to exceed the tax cap, the town board is permitted to do that — if they don’t exceed the tax cap, and it appears that they will not — then the law has no effect.”
Town Supervisor Brian Walsh and board member Kevin Walsh reassured residents that there was no current intention to exceed the cap. “We’re not going to use it,” said Brian Walsh, with Kevin Walsh adding, “We’re safe, we’re good.”
The meeting followed an Oct. 15 budget workshop where the board reviewed line-by-line requests from various departments. Recreation Director Brian Coons advocated for raising lifeguard pay to stay competitive with neighboring towns, while other adjustments addressed rising garbage disposal costs after two town clean-up days.
Several budget adjustments were made, including a $550 increase in tax collector pay and a reduction in engineering costs to $13,000. Building department salaries were raised to $10,000, while the summer camp payroll increased by $4,000 to $40,000. Recreation program expenses saw a $33,000 boost, and beach staff salaries rose by $3,000 to $33,000, with an additional $5,000 allocated for beach-related expenses. Garbage disposal costs doubled to $10,000, while funding for celebrations was reduced to $5,000. The Conservation Advisory Council received a $4,200 increase. “Everything else stayed the same,” said Brian Walsh.
During the public comment session, Pine Plains resident Gail Mellow, chair of the Conservation Advisory Council, praised the board for its transparency during the budget workshop but suggested further improvements. “For people like me in the community, you can’t really see how things are grouped by categories,” Mellow said. She also proposed the creation of a public budget calendar to encourage greater public participation and allow community groups to advocate for specific town funding.
The board also passed a resolution approving two payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) agreements for the Pulver Corners solar projects. The 15-year agreements start at $6,250 annually, increasing to $8,246.74, after which the solar facilities will be fully taxed.
In other matters, the board voted unanimously to submit a list of delinquent water bills to Dutchess County, allowing unpaid fees to be added to residents’ 2025 property taxes.
The board also approved a temporary one-way traffic system for Pine and Maple streets on Halloween, following feedback from a community survey. Of 73 respondents, 61 supported closing the streets entirely, but the board opted for the one-way traffic solution instead. The highway department will manage signage to indicate the new traffic flow.
Other updates included the highway department’s preparation of snow plows for winter and board approval to replace a 26-year-old street sander. The Recreation Department reported that adult basketball leagues have resumed, with the women’s league seeking more participants.
The Police Department reported 21 calls for service in recent weeks, including one domestic incident, two accidents, five parking warnings, and 13 traffic warnings.
In personnel news, the board voted to add Elena Meccariello and Alex Athanasiadis to the beautification committee, while Darrah Cloud resigned from the wastewater committee. Board member Kevin Walsh encouraged more residents to join the wastewater committee, which meets monthly.
The next Pine Plains Town Board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 20, at 7 p.m., with a public hearing on the final 2025 budget scheduled for 7:05 p.m.