Webster Town Board
August 6, 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
Town Clerk .................................................................................. Danene M. Marr
Department Heads Present:
Finance Director ..................................................................................Paul Adams
Community Development Director ................................................. Joshua Artuso
Town Engineer .............................................................................. Keith Mortimer
Police Chief ...............................................................................Dennis Kohlmeier
Wastewater Treatment Plant Chief Operator ................................... Rick Kenealy
Library Director ..................................................................................Adam Traub
Highway Superintendent ................................................................... Pat Stephens
Also in attendance was, newly appointed, Dwayne Hilfiker, Wastewater Treatment Plant Chief
Operator, Marianne Lamb, Administrative Assistant from the Wastewater Treatment Plant.
***
This was the second of two 2027 Budget Workshops for the Town of Webster. The workshop
reviewed preliminary budget requests and operating plans for Building Maintenance, the Fire
Marshal, Public Works, Tax Collection and the Town Clerk, Police, Wastewater Treatment Plant
operations, Library, and the Highway Department.
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.
Town Building Maintenance
The Town’s building maintenance is generally maintaining status-quo operating budget, with
selected increases tied to ongoing capital projects and the transition into new facilities.
Key points:
• The cleaning services remain a cost-effective contract, although the Town is discussing a
potential inflation-related adjustment with the vendor.
• Overtime is expected to remain elevated temporarily because administrative staff are
supporting capital projects, including setup, supplies, and transition work.
• General improvement in labor is being increased so the Town can perform more work inhouse and avoid the premium associated with outside public-work contractors.
• Most computer, licensing, office equipment, and routine operating costs are expected to
remain relatively stable.
1
07-30-2026
Webster Town Board
•
Fuel and material costs continue to reflect higher operating costs than prior years.
Town Engineer-Building Maintenance is using targeted labor increases to support
capital projects while continuing to control recurring operating costs.
***
Community Planning and Development- Fire Marshal and Public Works
The Fire Marshal’s budget is largely stable, with a modest increase in part-time assistance to
address the inspection workload. Public Works is proposing only a nominal year-over-year
increase, but several workload-related adjustments are being made.
Key points:
• Part-time assistant Fire Marshal funding is increased to help complete annual fire-safety
inspections.
• The additional support is intended to address inspections of multifamily buildings,
churches, restaurants, and other assembly occupancies.
• Computer, vehicle, training, maintenance, and fuel costs are generally being held at
current levels.
• Approximately $10,000.00 is being added to overtime for Public Works to address
seasonal demand and increased inspection and construction-related activity.
• Development reviews are becoming more complex because of wetlands, steep slopes,
stormwater, and other site conditions.
• Stormwater management continues to be a significant operational issue as the Town
experiences more substantial storm events.
• The Public Works department is balancing increasing workload against established
review timelines and Planning Board expectations.
The department is maintaining core services while adding limited part-time
capacity to keep up with required inspections. The Public Works is keeping the overall budget
restrained while recognizing that development review and stormwater responsibilities are
becoming more demanding.
***
Town Clerk and Tax Receiver
The Town Clerk and Tax Receiver Departments are maintaining existing staffing levels and
focusing on predictable administrative costs, postage, and fee-based revenues.
Key points:
•
Printing and postage remain amongst the largest expenses, with approximately
$15,000.00 in anticipated reimbursement from the Webster Central School District.
•
Tax collection revenue is estimated at approximately $180,000.00, compared with a
recent four-year average of roughly $183,000.00.
•
Printing and advertising includes legal notices and Town Code updates, with an
additional $2,000.00 allowance for changes associated with the comprehensive plan.
•
Postage is increasing due to anticipated United States Postal Service rate increases.
•
EZ-Pass sales continue to decline, so both purchases and projected revenue are being
reduced.
•
National background checks for peddler’s license applicants will continue under the
process implemented in 2026.
2
07-30-2026
Webster Town Board
Town Clerk revenues include marriage licenses, hunting permits, dog-related fees, and
other service charges.
These two departments are largely stable, with postage being the primary cost
pressure and EZ-Pass sales representing a declining revenue source.
***
Police
The Police Department’s preliminary request is approximately $11,251.00 higher than the prior
year. The largest component is officer compensation, which represents roughly two-thirds of the
department’s request.
Key points:
•
Officer and civilian salary projections do not yet include contractual increases from
ongoing negotiations.
•
The 2026 temporary increase to 35 authorized police positions is being requested as a
permanent staffing level.
•
The 2027 Budget separates the retirement buyout from the officer salary line, unlike the
prior-year presentation.
•
The permanent staffing request is the department’s principal structural increase.
•
The Police department is seeking to formalize its current staffing level while
leaving negotiated salary increases for a later budget adjustment.
***
Wastewater Treatment Plant- Sewer
The Wastewater Treatment Plant-Sewer operations continue to be driven by major projects,
regulatory requirements, and long-term capital planning.
Key points:
•
The Town is evaluating options to meet future wastewater disinfection requirements,
including potential contact-tank and UV-disinfection alternatives.
•
Consulting funding has been increased to support evaluation of the most appropriate
compliance approach.
•
Capital improvement funding for pump stations has been reduced, while other operating
and building-related costs remain relatively steady.
•
The Town recently completed a one-year Bond Anticipation Note at an approximate
2.8% net interest rate, below the 3% budget assumption.
•
Approximately $200,000.00 is being transferred to the capital reserve.
•
The Wastewater and Sewer budget remains complex because of operating costs, capital
financing, sewer rates, and future development revenues are interconnected.
Wastewater Treatment Plant planning remains a significant long-term financial
issue, but favorable borrowing costs and capital-reserve funding provide some flexibility.
***
Highway
The Highway Department operates across four funds and has several labor and project-related
cost pressures associated with capital work.
Key points:
•
Employee costs are allocated across the four funds based on how employees spend their
time.
3
07-30-2026
Webster Town Board
Overtime is increasing, in part because administrative and operational staff are supporting
capital projects.
•
General-improvement labor is being increased so more work can be completed in-house
rather than through higher-cost contractors.
•
Fuel, materials, and other operating expenses continue to reflect higher costs than in
earlier years.
•
The department’s overall transfer is projected to increase approximately 8.8% if the
proposed capital investment proceeds; without that capital investment, the increase would
be approximately 3.3%.
The Highway budget is being driven more by capital-project activity and the cost
of supporting that work than by significant growth in routine operations.
***
•
There being no further business to come before the Board, the meeting was adjourned at
7:02 p.m.
____________________________________
Danene M. Marr, Town Clerk
4
07-30-2026