Tax levy increase stays within state cap
The Nelsonville Village Board on Wednesday (April 15) adopted a $392,497 budget for 2026-27, a 3.4 increase over the current year. The property tax levy — the total amount the village collects through property taxes — will rise by 3.14 percent, the maximum Nelsonville is allowed under the state's tax cap for 2026-27.
The spending plan includes $6,112 (compared to $2,500 this year) to supply Nelsonville's fire hydrants because of higher rates charged by Cold Spring, an additional 33 percent for the village attorney ($20,000), and 10 percent raises for the mayor and the four trustees, their first increase since 2017, according to Winward. The mayor's salary will rise to $4,950 annually, and the trustees' to $2,915.
The budget also includes a 10 percent hike for the village justice, to $3,850, and 3 percent raises for the clerk and court clerk positions, both held by Melissa Harris.
Anticipated savings include $2,000 in street lighting costs due to the installation last year of LED bulbs and $6,000 in street maintenance costs. Instead of renewing a contract with a company that handled road maintenance and snow removal, the village contracted with Philipstown for plowing and some roadwork, and with another company to provide services not offered by the town.
"Even with the unusually snowy winter we had — where we actually had to pay more to remove snow — we were still able to stay within the budgeted amount for snow and street maintenance combined," said Winward.
This fiscal year is Nelsonville's first to include revenue from a sales-tax sharing agreement between Putnam County and its nine municipalities. Nelsonville will receive the minimum share, which is $50,000. It must be spent on infrastructure but can be used to hire consultants for projects. "I can't say enough how important that is for a tiny village, to be able to look forward and plan," said Winward.
Code update
The board continues to review property-maintenance regulations as part of a comprehensive revision of the village codes that began last month with the adoption of rules for residents with household pets, bees and/or chickens.
The guidelines for property maintenance span three sections of the code: Chapter 74 (Brush, Grass and Weeds), Chapter 148 (Property Maintenance) and Article IV, which requires property owners to remove snow and ice from sidewalks.
Trustee Alan Potts said he and another trustee, Marie Zhynovitch, are working on crafting a single chapter for property maintenance and revising language to eliminate ambiguity and confusion.

Nelsonville Adopts 2026-27 Budget