Pelham Mayor Chance Mullen and the board of trustees reviewed Tuesday budget figures during a virtual meeting held under the rules in Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s executive order.

Most items in the budget have remained the same or been cut, with two exceptions. Contributions to the state retirement fund went up about $175,000 to $200,000 this year, and pricing under the new garbage contract jumped after the village’s pervious waste collector lost its county license.

In total, spending in the budget would rise a little bit more than 6%. Mullen said the budget is not the tax levy. The levy funds about 75% to 80% of the village budget. The other 25% comes from parking tickets, permits and the sales tax. These revenue streams are expected to come in lower than this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. An accurate projection of revenue is being discussed.

Pelham is working towards “smart-cuts” to adjust certain areas of the budget, Mullen said. The budget gap is about $1 million, but the village is working to bring this down, officials said.

A copy of the tentative budget for the 2020-2021 year will be provided upon request via email. 

Over the last six years, the village’s reserves have dropped due to infrastructure failure and producing an operating budget where the tax levy didn’t cover all expenses, Mullen said.

Deputy Pete Mayor Potocki said the change in garbage contractors has played a major role in the tax increase and was out of Pelham’s control, rather is the result of the previous company’s loss of license.

A resident called to ask about the planned 7.85% tax levy increase, and asked that the mayor keep in mind homeowners while going through this difficult time. Mullen said that the levy increase is now down to 5.5%.

Mullen said Pelham hasn’t receive any help from the federal government and that all Westchester municipalities may end up splitting a small amount of money from Washington. He said he hopes that the federal government will work towards supporting communities’ health and economic needs.

Potocki opened the meeting by thanking everyone who has helped supply first-responders with face masks. One unidentified trustee thanked Chamber of Commerce President Clay Bushong and the chamber for helping keep businesses running and following protocols. Village board members could not be identified because of the nature of the conference call meeting. A second trustee thanked Pelham Together, a joint effort by the Junior League of Pelham, Pelham Civic Association, Pelham Together and the chamber, for working with local businesses to bring food to first-responders.

Mullen addressed the problems with the sewer line on Linden Avenue that caused residents to have sewage backing up into their homes. Joseph Senerchia, head of public works, brought in a consulting team and was able to pump the sewer line. The main issue was that the blockage was discovered under the off-ramp from the Hutchinson River Parkway, which is not Pelham-owned land. A permit was received Tuesday to begin working on the blockage area. In the meantime, there is a hose that is pumping sewage into another line.

Mullen provided an update on the Pelham House project, stating the village has been in contact with the developers despite the project being on hold. Phase 1 and environmental studies were  completed. The mayor said that despite the economy’s downturn because of the pandemic it is important to maintain the relationship with those working on the project. 

The board discussed a resolution approving a municipal agreement between Westchester County and the Village of Pelham to provide updated radio equipment for first responders. The resolution passed and is posted on the village website. An intermunicipal agreement between New Rochelle and the village for the disposal of organic waste was also discussed and passed. There is a slight increase in the payments to New Rochelle, as there is every year.

The board’s next meeting is April 28 at 7:30 p.m.