The Albion Village Board of Trustees took a significant step toward finalizing its 2025 budget Monday evening by unanimously voting to override the state’s tax levy limit. The board, meeting at Village Hall, approved Local Law 2-2025 during a public hearing that ran from 6:00 p.m. to 6:26 p.m. The vote was 5-0, with Mayor Angel Javier Jr., Deputy Mayor Greg Bennett, and Trustees Joyce Riley, Timothy McMurray, and William Gabalski all in favor. According to state law, municipalities can legally override the tax cap—the limit on how much they can raise the tax levy each year—if the board determines the cap would hinder necessary operations. While the vote allows the board to tax above the limit, it does not automatically mean tax rates will rise by the maximum amount. It merely provides the flexibility needed to finalize the budget without being restricted by the state’s formula, which often hampers towns with shrinking property assessments or rising pension costs. Residents will see the impact of this decision when the final budget is adopted later this year. Beyond the tax discussion, the board spent the evening managing the logistical and financial machinery of the village. Planning for the summer season is underway. The board approved a request to use the East Bank Street municipal parking lot on June 13 and 14 for the Annual Strawberry Festival. The vote was unanimous. The festival is a staple of the Orleans County summer, drawing visitors to the canal corridor and usually requiring significant coordination for parking and traffic control. The board also conducted its annual appointment process, a routine but critical function of local government that keeps citizen boards functioning. Mayor Javier, with the board’s consent, appointed or reappointed several volunteers to terms expiring in 2026, 2027, and 2030. Key appointments included: - **Disaster Coordinator:** Police Chief David Mogle. - **Zoning Board:** Jeanette Riley and Craig Tuohey. - **Planning Board:** Janet Navarra. - **Library Board:** Sandra Walter. - **Recreation Committee:** A large slate of eight residents, including John Grillo, Bernie Baldwin, and Annette Finch, to oversee village parks and activities. On the financial front, the board adopted two major resolutions to formalize how village money is handled. Resolution 2025-04 officially designated Key Bank, 5Star, JP Morgan Chase, and NYCLASS as the village’s official depositories. This allows the Clerk-Treasurer to deposit tax dollars and revenue into these institutions. Following that, Resolution 2025-05 updated the village’s Investment Policy. The policy dictates that the primary goals of investing public money are safety, liquidity, and yield—in that order. "Legal" and "safety" are listed as the top priorities in the policy text, with "yield" (interest earned) as a secondary concern. The policy limits deposits at specific institutions to a maximum of $5 million each and requires that any money exceeding FDIC insurance limits be secured by collateral, such as eligible securities. The board also approved a new Access Control Policy and updated the village code regarding Procurement Policy (Chapter 66). These measures standardize how the village purchases goods and services and how it secures its facilities. The meeting adjourned after roughly an hour of official business. The next steps for the board will involve integrating the tax levy override into the upcoming budget hearings.