Yorktown Budget Adopted With 6.6% Town Tax Increase

The Yorktown Town Board adopted a 2025 budget last week that includes a tax increase of 6.6 percent.

Town taxes represent about 10 percent of a property owner’s total tax bill. Based on calculations for the average home assessed at $10,000, the increase next year for residents will be $110.82, or $9.24 per month.

“Even $9.24 a month is a lot for some people. I understand that,” Supervisor Ed Lachterman said. “We get a tremendous amount for that money.”

Town taxes had been slated to rise 8.6 percent under Lachterman’s tentative budget, but the board made some changes to the $73.7 million spending plan to reduce the rate. The town board is using $1,425,000 from fund balance, the same amount utilized this year, to deal with escalating costs and unfunded mandates.

“Yorktown is in a good fiscal position. However, the cost of inflation has taken a toll on costs which are now reflected in the 2025 operating budget,” Lachterman said. “The town board, department heads and employees are watching every penny to be fiscally responsible to the taxpayers.”

Only Councilman Sergio Esposito, who wanted to utilize a larger portion of the town’s fund balance to lower the tax hike, voted against the budget.

“The other alternative if you don’t like 6 percent is to cut services,” said Councilwoman Susan Siegel, who suggested a few cuts, such as eliminating the town’s public relations firm.

Besides increases in health insurance premiums and retirement costs, Lachterman explained water district costs are expected to increase 14% due to hikes in purchasing water supply and the Yorktown Sewer District costs have jumped 3.8 percent.

In addition, there is a 54 percent increase in the cost of an additional fly car in the Advanced Life Support district, which is approximately $28 per household annually.

“For the cost of a pizza and a couple of beers we’re a much safer community,” Lachterman quipped.

School taxes make up approximately 70 percent of the annual tax bill. Westchester County taxes are approximately 15 percent.

“In the last five years we have either reduced town taxes or kept them flat while building our fund balance to make necessary capital improvements to our municipality in a multitude of ways,” Lachterman stated. “I have always believed asking more from our taxpayers to be a last resort and can assure you the town’s operations remain lean and fiscally responsible. Our mission to protect taxpayers continues and we will seek innovative ways to meet the challenges of the day.”

Rick Pezzullo

Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/