The Croton-on-Hudson Board of Trustees gathered on March 26, 2026, to kick off the budget season for the 2026-27 fiscal year, but the proceedings were quickly overshadowed by a stark reminder of the village’s aging infrastructure. Less than two hours before the meeting, a massive water main erupted on Olcott Avenue, cutting off service to residents and forcing a rapid emergency response. Village Manager Bryan Healy briefed the board on the situation, which began around 1:45 PM when calls flooded the DPW office. {{photo:1143:26:Village Manager Bryan Healy at the meeting}} "We started receiving many phone calls at the DPW office regarding people all around the village actually experiencing no water," Healy said. {{quote:29}} Crews located the leak between Radnor and Van Cortlandt, isolating the affected block to restore water to the rest of the village. Excavation revealed the cause: a section of cast iron pipe that essentially disintegrated. "Basically, half the pipe was blown off, with a couple of service lines right there," Healy said. {{quote:94}} The infrastructure dates back to 1908, making it well over a century old. Crews worked into the evening to replace the section with ductile iron and new copper service lines. The break served as an expensive, real-world case study as the board turned its attention to the proposed budget for the Department of Public Works (DPW). ### Balancing the Books on Winter and Waste The proposed budget reflects a significant increase in funding for snow removal, a line item that fluctuates heavily based on Mother Nature. The village is proposing a $68,000 increase in the snow removal budget, bringing the total to $240,404. "You know, this, I think, by any stretch was an extreme year," said a village official, referring to the recent winter season. {{quote:1311}} The increase is driven not just by the volume of snow, but by the cost of labor. With higher salaries for base staff comes a higher rate for overtime when storms hit. "The rates have increased, and so we need to budget appropriately," the official added. {{quote:1362}} Residents will also see an increase in sanitation costs. The budget allocates an additional $12,000 for refuse collection, bringing the line item to $266,300. This hike is due to rising "tipping fees" charged by Westchester County—the cost to dump garbage at the county’s refuse transfer station. "So those tipping fees, as they're called, have gone up by the county, so that's the main driver," Healy said. {{quote:1861}} However, the village is mitigating some costs through aggressive recycling and composting programs. Officials noted that revenue from dog licenses more than covers the cost of the village's animal control, and that recycling revenue helps lower the net cost of waste management. ### Maintenance and Air Quality The meeting also highlighted the mundane but necessary maintenance required to keep village facilities running. The Board reviewed a decrease in the public buildings maintenance budget, a result of saving funds for a future capital project to revamp the building department. Meanwhile, the central garage budget saw a decrease of $9,725 following the completion of a mandatory air duct cleaning at the DPW facility. Trustees established a five-year cleaning cycle for all municipal buildings to maintain air quality. "Most of the duct companies have told us that that's a pretty good schedule to keep," Healy said. {{quote:550}} ### Preparing for the Unknown A recurring theme throughout the work session was the difficulty of budgeting for unpredictable events, such as water main breaks or sudden fuel price spikes. While the fuel budget remains flat compared to the previous year, officials acknowledged that rising energy costs could force them to dip into contingency funds before the fiscal year is out. "We have contingency funding, right, in the budget that we're slating to increase," a board member noted. "So, you know, if these costs remain elevated, we could potentially have to supplement what's budgeted." {{quote:431}} The Board is expected to adopt the final budget on April 22. Until then, residents can expect further discussions on how to balance the rising costs of maintaining the village's historic infrastructure with the goal of keeping taxes stable.