By Mary Marvin, Mayor of Bronxville

Oct. 23, 2024: The following is a letter that the Trustees and I sent to our Eastchester Board of Fire Commissioners expressing our concern about a budget increase of 14.4% on the heels of a 9.7% increase last year. This represents a $3 million increase to a budget total of $23,872,423.00.

Given this very significant taxable number for our fire services, we felt it was time that the Trustees, and we ask you, to become more cognizant of this section of our overall tax bill.

The fire budget now exceeds both the budgets of the Village of Bronxville and the Village of Tuckahoe.

As background, the Board has five commissioners, with an election every year for a five-year term. Many of the commissioners have traditionally been former firefighters, both volunteer and regular, as well as family members of firefighters. Bronxville has not had representation on this board since 2020 despite paying 33% of the 2025 fire budget, or as it translates to $7,877,900 – a bit of a case of taxation without representation.

However, in fairness, much of the blame rests on us, as we do not offer up candidates. As of today, it is my understanding that no candidate has filed to run, but there will most certainly be one from outside the Village.

To the Board of Fire Commissioners,

The Trustees and I reviewed your budget and we are very concerned with the unprecedented and astronomical 14 ½% increase. Quite simply, this is just not sustainable for the residents of Bronxville, Tuckahoe and Eastchester. After doing our due diligence, it is clear to us that this will not be a one-time anomaly, rather having the potential to be for being the start of multiyear double-digit increases.

We are greatly concerned about the addition of firefighters and how that affects all budgets going forward. Doing comparisons, we noticed that in the 2020 budget, the number of firefighters was 72 and now 83 are proposed just five years later. Since it appears, (though not documented) that the additional firefighters in this proposed budget have not reached the important six-year mark where their salary escalates to top-pay from approximately $60,000 to 108,000 (before any new CBA agreement) so a cost escalation is guaranteed. Not only is the base salary increased, it goes hand-in-hand with increases for pensions, longevity, overtime-hourly rates and holiday pay just to name a few monetary triggers.

We would appreciate seeing your six year forward projections of where the cost of these new proposed firefighters is headed.

The following are also other observations that on our review did not seem to be explained in your document. As example, we saw no estimate for 2025 interest revenue even though a $20 million plus budget should generate a great deal of interest. We would also like to understand the $630,000 fire equipment outlay, as we were under the assumption that there was in the past a reserve fund for apparatus. Query, what was the reserve fund balance in 2020 we mentioned above? Was the money for the recent apparatus borrowed or committed too prior to this budget? If so, we were under the impression that such borrowing required a public referendum.  The overtime number also seems unbelievably high considering the extra manpower hired in the last five years. What might be the reason for this? Finally, why did Workmen’s Compensation costs drop 30% in a budget where additional firefighters are proposed? We take our job as stewards of our Village very seriously and frankly, we are very concerned about this budget both currently and its future implications.

We ask you that you reconsider some of the main drivers of this unprecedented budget especially the addition of the firefighters as we genuinely feel this budget is not in the best interest of the Eastchester taxpayer.

Of the five commissioners, only Chairman Paul Carlo voted against the 14%+ increase with Commissioner Keating not in attendance and Commissioners Anthony Lore, Tony Cerasi and Paul Ranellone voting in favor. The motion passed.

Our letter focuses on the most concerning issues in the budget, but I ask all of you with an interest to look at the budget in its entirety, which is on the Eastchester Board of Fire Commissioners website and send any thoughts you have our way.

The election is on December 10^th. The hours are not the traditional, rather from 2pm to 9pm at Village Hall for all Village residents. Click here to get an absentee ballot for the Fire Board Election.

Voters who wish to be mailed a ballot must submit their applications to be reviewed by the District Secretary no later than seven days before election day. Voters who wish to pick up ballots personally at Fire Headquarters must submit their application at least one day before Election Day during regular office hours.