Town of Canandaigua officials are preparing a tentative 2027 budget while confronting double-digit increases in several major expenses and looking for a more predictable way to pay for vehicles, roads and other capital projects.
Town Supervisor Don Cotter said gasoline costs are up 27.4% from the prior year, energy costs have increased 16.3%, retirement expenses are up 22.6% and insurance costs have climbed 37.1%. The figures were included in the town's September newsletter following budget workshops this month.
Department heads developed initial spending plans in August before presenting them to a committee that included the supervisor, Town Board finance chair, town manager, human resources director and finance director. Board members discussed the proposals during public workshops Sept. 9, Sept. 11 and Sept. 17.
The town manager is scheduled to present the tentative budget at the Sept. 21 Town Board meeting. The board may then accept it as the preliminary budget and schedule a public hearing for Oct. 19.
Officials have also scheduled an Oct. 26 workshop for possible changes after the hearing. A final budget vote is planned for Nov. 16, followed by a town hall meeting Nov. 23.
Town considers building capital reserves
Cotter said the town wants to move away from relying primarily on reserves or debt for major purchases and construction. The town has often used excess sales-tax revenue to replenish reserves or pay debt after projects were completed.
For 2027, officials are considering beginning dedicated savings for a $340,000 snowplow replacement, a $200,000 culvert replacement and $45,000 in resurfacing at Motion Junction.
Future capital planning could cover water-main replacement, road and drainage work, buildings, technology, the vehicle fleet, parks and other public assets. The proposal is intended to spread costs over time and make future needs more predictable.
Rain gauges capture intense September storm
The newsletter also detailed the first major test of a new local rain-gauge network developed with the Canandaigua Lake Watershed Council. Three stations recorded a severe storm Sept. 2 in five-minute intervals.
The gauges measured 1.44 inches at Kershaw Beach, 1.55 inches at Town Hall and 1.79 inches at McJannet Park over the course of the day. During the strongest evening burst, five-minute totals reached 0.41 inches, an intensity of more than 4 inches per hour.
Town officials said the day's overall rainfall was not especially unusual, but the amount that fell within 15 to 30 minutes was the kind of burst expected only every few years at a given location. Short, intense rainfall can overwhelm storm drains and culverts and quickly send runoff into Canandaigua Lake.
The network is intended to give engineers and watershed managers localized information instead of relying only on regional weather stations. Officials said the difference among the three sites also showed how rainfall and flood risk can vary across short distances.
The town plans to add three monitoring areas in 2027, while two other stations are being prepared for the east side and south end of the Canandaigua Lake watershed. Live readings are available for the current stations at Kershaw Beach, Town Hall and McJannet Park.
Reassessment survey and permit guides launched
The assessor's office is asking residents to complete a survey as the town explores a communitywide property reassessment or revaluation in about two years. Officials said the responses will help identify questions and preferred ways to communicate information about the process.
The office also reminded residents that most town property owners will receive school-tax bills in October. STAR benefits may appear as an exemption reducing the bill or as a separate state credit check, depending on when the homeowner entered the program.
The Code Enforcement Department has published plain-language guides for more than a dozen common home projects. Topics include docks, excavation, fences, porches, heating and electrical work, generators, roofs, solar panels, patios, pools and accessory structures.
Officials said residents should contact the department before beginning work because permit requirements can vary by a project's type, size and location. The guides are available through the town's website.
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