🏛️ Board of Trustees
Albion Village Board Adopts $3.46 Million Tax Levy; Police Cuts Rejected
The Albion Village Board formally adopted the 2025-2026 budget, establishing a tax levy of $3.46 million to support general fund operations. A proposal to reduce police overtime and eliminate funding for new equipment failed during the final review.
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Key Actions & Decisions
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Adopted the 2025-2026 Village Budget with a $3.46 million tax levy (Unanimous 5-0).
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Approved General Fund appropriations of $4.76 million (Unanimous 5-0).
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Voted down reductions to Police overtime, keeping funding at $108,000 (2-3 vote).
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Voted down eliminating $10,000 in police reserves for body cameras and computers (2-3 vote).
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Authorized Deputy Mayor Greg Bennett to sign collectors' warrants (Unanimous 5-0).
The Village of Albion Board of Trustees unanimously adopted the 2025-2026 budget during a special meeting Tuesday, finalizing a spending plan that levies $3.46 million in taxes on residents.
The meeting, held at Village Hall on East Bank Street, marked the culmination of the village’s financial planning for the coming year. Mayor Angel Javier Jr. presided over the session, which included a final review of line items and a failed attempt to reduce police department funding.
**Budget Details**
The adopted budget appropriates roughly $4.76 million for the General Fund, which covers the day-to-day operations of village government. To bridge the gap between estimated revenues ($1.24 million) and appropriations, the board approved a tax levy of $3,463,463.38, utilizing $64,000 from the fund balance to minimize the tax impact on residents.
The board also approved financial plans for the village’s enterprise funds. The Water Fund appropriations were set at $2.64 million against estimated revenues of $2.2 million, drawing a balance of $444,614.25. The Sewer Fund was balanced with appropriations of $1.5 million and revenues of $1.49 million, leaving a smaller fund balance of $12,335.00.
**Police Funding Debate**
Prior to the final vote, the board engaged in a brief debate regarding specific allocations within the police budget.
Trustee William Gabalski, seconded by Trustee Joyce Riley, introduced a motion to make adjustments to the police budget. The proposal sought to cut the Police overtime line item from $108,000 to $100,000. Additionally, the motion called for the removal of $10,000 in police reserves: $5,000 earmarked for body cameras and tasers, and another $5,000 for a computer replacement.
The motion did not carry. According to the minutes, Mayor Javier and Deputy Mayor Greg Bennett joined Trustee Tim McMurray in voting against the cuts, while Trustees Gabalski and Riley voted in favor.
With the adjustments rejected, the budget moved forward with the original police funding intact. The final budget was approved with a 5-0 vote, with the Mayor breaking his silence on the first item to vote in favor of the full spending plan.
**Executive Session**
Following the budget adoption, the board moved into executive session at 7:25 p.m. to discuss matters likely involving personnel or litigation, which are exempt from public discussion under the Open Meetings Law. Deputy Mayor Bennett and Trustee Riley made the motion to enter the closed session.
The board emerged from executive session at 8:20 p.m. and immediately authorized the Deputy Mayor to sign collectors’ warrants, a routine procedural step allowing for the payment of village bills.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:21 p.m. The next regular meeting of the Board of Trustees is expected to address the implementation of the newly adopted budget.
Coverage of the Board of Trustees meeting on 2025-04-29,
Village of Albion, NY.
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This article was drafted by AI (claude-sonnet-4-20250514) from the official meeting transcript and reviewed by a human editor.
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Related Board of Trustees Meetings
2025-04-23
Albion Trustees Approve New Fee Schedule, Plan Special Meeting for Final Budget Vote
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Key Actions & Decisions
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Approved 2025-2026 Fee Schedule: Trustee Gabalski voted nay; Mayor Javier, Trustees Riley and McMurray voted aye.
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Set Special Budget Meeting: The Board scheduled a meeting for April 29, 2025, at 6:00 PM to formally adopt the 2025-2026 budget.
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Demolition Permits: New fees set at $125 base + $.30/sq ft for residential; $350 base + $.50/sq ft for commercial.
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Alarm Permits: Fee set at $100 every two years; Gabalski opposed the flat fee, suggesting charges only for repeat offenders.
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Solar Permits: New residential fee of $150 + $.50 per kilowatt; commercial fee $500 + $.50 per kilowatt.
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56 N. Main St: Authorized up to $1,500 for legal costs and abstracts regarding the property.
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Meter Enforcement: Board instructed Deputy Treasurer to bill triple the past usage for residents refusing to replace non-reporting meters.
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Personnel: Accepted resignation of cleaner Amy Jaczynski; authorized advertising for replacement at $200/week.
2025-05-14
Albion Village Board Halts Water Fluoridation Hearing, Accepts DPW Resignation
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Key Actions & Decisions
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Cancelled Public Hearing: The board voted to cancel the May 28 public hearing regarding the removal of fluoride from the public water supply; no future date is scheduled.
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Infrastructure Payments: Approved payments totaling roughly $166,000 for water improvement projects, largely invoiced to state grants.
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Personnel Changes: Accepted the resignation of Ronald Ricker, MEO from the DPW, effective June 27, 2025.
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Hiring: Hired Kayla Malone as a part-time cleaner at a flat rate of $200 per week.
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Utility Relief: Denied sewer "break" requests for two residents but approved a 12-month payment plan to help them manage costs.
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Grants & Reserves: Allocated $1,652.03 from the sale of scrap metal to equipment reserves and moved $1,017.50 in donations to the July 3rd celebration reserves.
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Cemetery Maintenance: Approved a request for KeyBank employees to clean Mt. Albion Cemetery on June 4.
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Events: Approved the Memorial Day Parade for May 26 and the WNY Honda-Tech Meet for September 21 at Bullard Park.
2025-04-14
Albion Board Votes to Override Tax Cap, Sets Financial Policy for Coming Year
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Key Actions & Decisions
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Override Tax Levy Limit: Unanimously (5-0) approved Local Law 2-2025 to override the tax levy limit established in General Municipal Law §3-c.
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Strawberry Festival Approved: Unanimously approved use of the E. Bank St. municipal parking lot for the Annual Strawberry Festival on June 13 and 14.
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Procurement Policy: Unanimously adopted Chapter 66 of the Village Code regarding procurement.
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Investment Policy: Unanimously adopted Resolution 2025-05, dictating how village funds are invested and safeguarded.
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Official Depositories: Unanimously adopted Resolution 2025-04, designating Key Bank, 5Star, JP Morgan Chase, and NYCLASS as official village depositories.
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Annual Appointments: Unanimously appointed over a dozen residents to various boards, including Planning, Zoning, Library, and Recreation committees.
2025-03-31
Albion Trustees Approve $40,450 Cemetery Excavator in Brief Special Meeting
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Key Actions & Decisions
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Approved the purchase of an excavator for the Cemetery Department for $40,450, utilizing Cemetery Capital Funds (Vote: 4-0).
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Entered executive session at 6:02 p.m. to discuss employee personnel.
2025-03-26
Fluoride Debate Continues: Albion Board Schedules Second Public Hearing
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Key Actions & Decisions
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Fluoride Decision Delayed: Board scheduled another public hearing on eliminating water fluoride for May 28, 2025, following a 46-minute session with 18 resident speakers.
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Bullard Park Security: Approved $4,741.64 for Upstate Alarm cameras; Trustee Timothy McMurray agreed to use his 2025-2026 salary to cover the invoice.
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Santa House Approved: Voted 4-1 to approve ABC’s plans to build a Santa House on Village parcel 73.6-3-57.1 on Main St.
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Mobile Home Meters: Approved $3,000 from the water fund balance for master meters at OOE and West State mobile home parks.
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New Hire: Appointed Josh Narburgh as a part-time police officer at $31.00/hr.
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Utility Relevy: Approved placing $7,276.88 in outstanding water/sewer charges and $17,675.00 in property maintenance fees onto 2025-2026 tax rolls.
2025-06-11
Dissolution Debate Dominates Packed Albion Village Hall Meeting
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Key Actions & Decisions
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Public Hearing Held: The Board opened a public hearing on the consideration of dissolving/consolidating the village into the town. Public comment was mixed, with residents questioning the necessity of the move.
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Bills Approved: The Board authorized the payment of $91,082.63 in total expenses across General, Water, Sewer, and Capital funds.
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Employee Request Modified: Trustees voted 4-1 to offer three personal days instead of the requested ten days to an employee who previously declined a 4% raise. Trustee McMurray voted no.
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July 4th Funding: The Board accepted a $100 donation from St. Mary’s Athletic Club for the 2026 July 3rd celebration.
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Budget Adjustments: Approved an increase of $3,146.12 in the water fund for sludge truck fuel expenses.
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