Webster Town Board
July 30, 2026
A budget workshop meeting of the Webster Town Board was called to order by Supervisor
Scialdone at 4:30 p.m. at the Webster Town Board Meeting Room, 1002 Ridge Road, Webster,
New York, with the following officials present:
Supervisor ......................................................................... Alexander B. Scialdone
Councilman....................................................................................... John J. Cahill
Councilwoman...........................................................................Jennifer S. Wright
Councilman.............................................................................. Nicholas E. Hunter
Councilman................................................................................ Garrett J. Wagner
Attorney for the Town .........................................................................Kyle Taylor
Deputy Town Clerk .......................................................... Ann Marie Champagne
Department Heads Present:
Finance Director ..................................................................................Paul Adams
Town Assessor................................................................................. Donna Komor
Personnel Director .......................................................................... Kelsey Feeney
Information Technology Director........................................................ Steve Peace
Parks and Recreation Director .............................................................Chris Bilow
Parks Director ..................................................................................... Mike Herbst
Town Justice ................................................................................ Thomas DiSalvo
Communications Director ............................................................. Bridget Harvey
***
This was the first of two 2027 budget workshops for the Town of Webster. The workshop
reviewed preliminary budget requests from Assessing, Finance, Human Resource, Information
Technology, Parks and Recreation, Justice Court, and Communications.
A major caveat is that the preliminary budgets do not yet include Cost of Living Adjustment
(COLA) increases for employees, because the Town’s union contracts expire at the end of 2026
and new contracts are still being negotiated. Consequently, personnel costs and therefore total
departmental budgets, will likely change before the final 2027 budget is adopted.
Assessment Department
The Assessment Department’s proposed budget is substantially lower than 2026, primarily
because the Town is moving past the initial cost phase of its reassessment/project.
Key points:
• One employee is being moved from a full-time to a part-time budget line and explain
changes between those categories.
• The Board of Assessment Review budget increases because the Town expects more
assessment grievances in 2027 following the revaluation.
• Legal consulting expenses are also expected to increase somewhat because of anticipated
grievances and potential litigation.
• Contractual costs decline because custom assessment software should be completed
during 2026.
• Reassessment expenses decline substantially because the Town will not be paying the
revaluation contractor for a full year in 2027.
• The department’s vehicle is due for routine maintenance, including brakes.
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Assessment Department is expected to become considerably less expensive as the
major revaluation project concludes, although the Town expects increased grievance- related
workload and costs in the short term.
***
Finance Department
The Finance Department is proposing approximately $570,000.00 in appropriations, an increase
of about $29,000.00 from 2026.
Key points:
• Three full-time employees plus one part-time employee.
• One new computer.
• Professional training and conferences.
• Financial software and compliance tools.
• Approximately $16,800.00 for financial consulting, including actuarial work.
• Approximately $6,000.00 for an outside municipal systems administrator.
Finance discussed the Town’s obligation to monitor arbitrage earnings on borrowed money.
Because the Town has had substantial funds from recent capital borrowing invested temporarily,
it may need an outside consultant to verify its calculations and determine whether any repayment
to the IRS is required.
Finance’s budget increase is relatively modest and is driven largely by software,
professional services, compliance, and systems-administration needs rather than significant
staffing growth.
***
Human Resources
The Human Resources Department’s proposed budget is approximately $17,000.00 lower than in
2026. The reason is the retirement of the previous personnel director, who was at the top salary
step. The current director’s salary is lower.
Key points:
• Training remains around $4,000.00.
• Software costs decline because additional Munis/HR training anticipants in 2026
shouldn’t be necessary in 2027.
• The $1000.00 employee-recognition budget is eliminated because it has gone unused for
approximately four years.
• $1,000 is instead shifted into employee wellness, bringing that line to approximately
$2,500.00.
• The wellness budget also includes an employee assistance program, bringing the overall
line to approximately $5,300.00.
HR is reducing its overall budget while redirecting unused recognition money
toward employee wellness and maintaining existing HR services.
***
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Information Technology
The Information Technology Department has one of the more significant capital-spending
increases through this presentation. The reason is largely timing; the department spent much of
2026 completing a major network infrastructure upgrade, so several projects were deferred.
Key points:
• Approximately three new servers, estimated around $15,000.00 each.
• Additional Wi-Fi access points at Recreation and the Highway Department.
• Roughly $30,000.00 security network management software purchase covering a
multi-year period.
• Server licensing and help-desk software.
• Continued effort to integrate the Town’s network more closely with its cybersecurity
partnership with New York State.
• Decreased spending on training
• Some monitoring contracts will be brought in-house.
• Certain existing services will be replaced by capabilities included in the new security
infrastructure.
It’s increase is primarily an infrastructure and cybersecurity investment, following
a major network upgrade. The department is trying to offset some of the capital increase through
operational savings.
***
Parks and Recreation
The Parks and Recreation Department has a revenue-focused budget presentation. Across the
Senior, Recreation, and Parks Departments, projected 2027 revenue is approximately $1.42
million, up about 6%, while expenses are projected at roughly $3.77 million, up about 5%. The
department emphasized that revenue is expected to continue growing while expenses remain
controlled.
Key points:
• Senior transportation funding increases from $500.00 to $8,500.00.
• Senior program participation is increasing.
• Lunch program revenue is budgeted conservatively because payments are suggested
donations rather than mandatory fees.
• The Recreation Department has been separating expenses into more specific categories to
make budgeting more transparent, for example, distinguishing summer camp personnel
from other part-time program staff.
• A new expense is interpreter services, reflecting increasing demand and the Town’s
obligation to provide interpreters for certain programs.
• Fitness membership growth continues to increase.
• Requesting funding for the parks barn, paving at Kent Park, replacing a seven-year-old
Kubota tractor, equipment for athletic fields and replacement of Parks vehicle.
Parks and Recreation expects strong revenue performance and continued
participation growth, while using capital funds for aging equipment, facilities, and vehicles. The
department is also moving toward purchasing vehicles outright rather than leasing them, based
on its analysis that purchasing is more cost-effective.
***
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Justice Court
The Justice Court budget is described as relatively small and stable.
Key points:
• The court currently has three full-time and one part-time clerical employees but is
temporarily short-staffed because of retirement and medical leave.
• The court expects to recruit another part-time clerk.
• Longer term, the judges are considering whether two part-time positions could eventually
become one full-time position.
• No major computer expenditure is necessary because the State has provided computers to
the court.
• Court security remains a significant expense because the Town now uses private armed
security.
• The court is working with the Town and County officials on converting an underused
area into a conference/jury deliberation room which could serve as attorney-client
meeting space, a jury deliberation room.
• The court generates substantially more revenue than its direct operating budget.
• Only 25% of the court’s caseload is traffic related. The majority consists of criminal
matter, code violations, landlord/tenant matters, small claims, dangerous-dog cases, and
other proceedings.
the Justice Court’s operating budget is relatively stable, but security and potential
improvements are important longer-term considerations.
***
Communications
The Communications Department is relatively new and is adjusting its budget based heavily on
actual spending patterns.
Key points:
• Part-time personnel spending is expected to fall by roughly 50%, largely because
employees tend to take compensatory time rather than receive overtime pay.
• Requesting one new computer.
• Software subscriptions are being separated into their own budget category.
• Milage is being added because the Communications Assistant regularly travels between
Town facilities to record events, take photographs/video, and support other departments.
• Website maintenance increases somewhat based on actual costs.
• A new Citizens Outreach Budget Line is being created, which is intended to cover
communication materials for projects such as; Revaluation communications,
comprehensive plan materials, park-district mailings, and other Townwide outreach
efforts.
Communications is trying to formalize costs that have previously been scattered
across departments while improving the Town’s public-information and outreach capabilities.
***
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There being no further business to come before the Board, the meeting was adjourned at
5:50 p.m.
____________________________________
Ann Marie Champagne, Deputy Town Clerk
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