Meeting date ·
Transcript records Buchanan budget vote after questions about spending and oversight
Published
Buchanan trustees moved to adopt the village’s 2026–27 budget and water rates on April 8 after a hearing in which trustees and residents questioned proposed spending and how the board is informed about village projects. The certified transcript records multiple ayes on the adoption motion but does not identify each vote or state a tally.
The hearing closed over Mayor Theresa Knickerbocker’s objection. The transcript records multiple ayes to close it, followed by her statement that she voted no and wanted to keep the hearing open. It does not identify the other voters.
Trustees reviewed individual budget lines and asked Village Administrator Marcus Serrano about matters including senior-program revenue, staffing and health insurance. The discussion also covered anticipated development-related recreation fees and ways capital projects might be financed. Those were explanations and possibilities discussed at the hearing; the transcript does not establish that anticipated fees had been received or that particular borrowing had been approved.
A question about work on a village-office kitchen led to a longer exchange about spending oversight. Knickerbocker wanted notice of projects and information about their cost and budget line; Serrano and trustees discussed how routine budgeted maintenance should be handled. Participants gave differing accounts and views. Serrano agreed to provide an emailed update; the transcript does not record the adoption of a new spending-control policy during the exchange.
Resident Sal Tavano said he had difficulty finding the proposed budget on the village website; Serrano said it could be placed on the homepage in the future. Tavano also asked for documented financial controls and public accountability. Serrano described the village’s procurement and approval processes and annual audit. Tavano said he had not seen the audit opinion. The discussion is not itself an independent assessment of those controls or an audit finding.
At the start of the meeting, trustees called May 5 public hearings on proposed changes to rules for communication towers and cross-connection control. Each motion received a collective aye in the transcript; calling a hearing did not itself change either rule.
Knickerbocker announced an opening on the zoning board. Officials also discussed a possible Earth Day cleanup, including the need to consider public works supervision and overtime; the transcript does not record a final cleanup decision.
Trustee Awilda Baez said she would not serve as liaison to the fire department, planning and zoning, arguing that the administrator already had regular contact with those entities. Trustee Anthony Capicotti also said he would resign the education liaison assignment. The exchange records their statements, not a board vote on replacements.
Serrano said building-department files were being processed and scanned, and described anticipated Route 9A paving and possible Village Square site work. Discussing road restoration, he said George would recommend a street-opening policy change and was not approving curb cuts or street openings until a new policy addressed the issue. These were his descriptions on April 8; they do not establish a formal board moratorium, an enacted policy or the status of the work and approvals today.
The transcript records a motion, second and collective aye to close the meeting and says the public meeting ended at 8:23 p.m.