Stanford’s 2026 budget passes with no public comment

STANFORD — The Town Board adopted the 2026 preliminary budget on Tuesday, Oct. 21, after no one attended the public hearing.

“As there’s no one here in the room, I make a motion to close the public hearing on the 2026 preliminary budget,” Stanford Town Supervisor Wendy Burton said immediately after the public hearing was opened.

She then provided a brief recap of some statistics, saying salaries account for 30% of the highway fund budget and that health costs rose 15%.

“Please remember the town is responsible for the general fund, the highway fund and the ambulance fund,” Burton said. “Library, fire and Bangall light district taxes are simply pass-throughs that the town does not control.”

The total budget for the town increased slightly from $4,570,690 in 2025 to $4,828,200.

That’s a roughly 5.6% increase in the town’s overall budget compared to 2025.

But a combination of savings and a large reduction in the ambulance fund contributed to a decrease in the amount of tax revenue the town must collect from $2,552,057 to $2,247,477 — a nearly 12% decrease.

Salaries for Town Board members and the Town Supervisor stayed the same, but the supervisor’s bookkeeper and legislative aide will see small pay bumps.

The bookkeeper is getting a $1,344 raise, bringing the position’s salary to $46,155. The legislative aide is getting an $840 raise, with a new total salary of $28,847.