Amenia Town Board schedules 2025 budget hearing for Nov. 7

Amenia Town Hall on Route 22.
Photo by John Coston


Amenia Town Hall on Route 22.
AMENIA — Following continuing discussion on the details of the 2025 Preliminary Budget proposal, the Town Board at its meeting on Thursday, Oct. 17, voted unanimously to schedule the annual public hearing for Thursday, Nov. 7, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Town Hall.
Under town law, the public hearing must be scheduled for the first Thursday following the general election that will occur on Tuesday, Nov. 5. The town is required to adopt its final budget for 2025 on or before Wednesday, Nov. 20.
To view the preliminary 2025 budget in advance of the public hearing, go to www.ameniany.gov.
Explaining the impact on the local mill rate, Director of Finance Charlie Miller reported that a tentative rate for 2025 would be 2.10262 mills, with all proposed revisions taken into account from previous budget review sessions conducted by the Town Board. The 2024 rate was 1.93296. The increase in the mill rate amounts to 8.8%.
The increase is largely driven by the substantial effect of projected increase in cost for ambulance service, Miller said, although noting that negotiations are ongoing. The projected debt service for the new town garage is already included in the budget, Miller said.
Brief discussion centered on the Building Department’s request for a town vehicle for use by the Building Inspector, who now uses his personal vehicle for his official duties. The question was whether the vehicle presents a sufficient benefit to the town’s residents.
Councilman Paul Winters felt that the vehicle use could be scheduled in such a way as to produce revenue for the town in increased regulation enforcement. As the board thought it would be useful to hear Councilman Brad Rebillard’s opinion on the issue, and as he was absent from the meeting, further discussion was postponed.

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Joey Duncan decorates his bicycle at the Irondale Schoolhouse on Saturday, July 11, in anticipation of wowing visitors and spectators as part of the kickoff parade for Millerton’s nine-day 175th anniversary celebration.
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Millerton will spend the next week celebrating its anniversary, commemorating the village’s history since the arrival of the Harlem Valley Railroad in 1851, a moment that the village’s founding fathers and historians have long heralded as the birth of the community.
The Saturday’s main event was the parade, which rolled down Main Street around 4 p.m., marking the official start of the nine-day celebration. About 200 people gathered along Main Street’s sidewalks and beneath the shade trees in Veterans Park to watch.
More than two dozen craft vendors set up shop in Eddie Collins Memorial Park on Saturday, selling a myriad of handmade goods ranging from decorative to practical including pottery, jewelry and soaps.
Also taking up residence in the park was a community flea market. Millerton and North East community members peddled gently used items at the park, and two residents in the village signed up to have yard sales put on a map of the town for interested shoppers to go visit.
The day included a dedication ceremony at the Town of North East’s Highway Garage, where town officials dedicated the building to the late Bob Stevens. Stevens served as the town’s Highway Superintendent for more than 20 years at the time of his death in March.
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Children enjoy a spin in a carnival ride at the 2025 Fire Department Carnival in Millbrook.
MILLBROOK — This weekend, evenings in Millbrook will be filled with rides, games, live music, food, and a celebration put on by and for the local volunteer fire department.
Wednesday, July 15, Millbrook will be hosting their annual Millbrook Fire Department Carnival. Lasting four days, the event culminates on July 18, with a parade down Franklin Avenue starting off the evening.
The proceeds from the carnival go to the firehouse. The money helps fund the day-to-day operations, maintains equipment, and provides training.
“Every person who attends the carnival is helping to support our volunteers,” said Millbrook Fire Department Captain and President Kelly Tomasulo.
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“The continued generosity of our community is what makes it possible for the Millbrook Fire Department to provide the high level of emergency service our residents and neighboring communities have come to rely on,” Tomasulo said.
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“It’s a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our community together as a family, and I’m looking forward to sharing that experience with them while honoring the dedicated volunteers who do so much for Millbrook,” Doro said.
The Millbrook Fire Department answers around 1,000 emergency calls each year.
“They serve our community every day with professionalism, courage, and dedication,” Doro said.


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