Mayor’s Message May 2026
Spring has arrived and that means many of us are out and about, enjoying the warmer (mostly) weather, and the lovely trees and plants in our urban forest. Not only is it cycling season, but May is National Bicycle Safety Month. I am going to take this opportunity to talk about how important it is to be “bike aware”, whether you are the one on the bicycle or the one driving a car with cyclists on the road.
Overview
● Bicycles are considered vehicles, which means bicyclists are required to follow the same rules of the road as drivers, and drivers should treat them as they would other vehicles.
For Drivers
● Traffic safety is a shared responsibility. When driving, look out for bicyclists, never drive distracted, and look left-right-left and behind when turning right on red. Yield to bicycles as you would other vehicles. And, when passing, make sure you keep a 3 foot distance between your car and the bike.
● If you see a bicyclist, maintain a safe distance: Bicyclists are most often killed by drivers who strike them with the front of their vehicles, often at high speeds. The higher the vehicle speed, the higher the likelihood a bicyclist will be seriously injured or killed.
For Bicyclists
● Just as seat belts help save lives in a motor vehicle crash, bicycle helmets save lives, too. When biking, always wear a correctly fitting helmet.
● Compared to vehicles, bicyclists are harder to see because of their smaller size. To make it easier for drivers to see you, have reflectors and lights on your bike, and wear retroreflective and bright clothing.
● Bicyclists ride in the same direction as traffic, and obey street signs, signals, and road markings, just like a vehicle. Never text, listen to music, or do anything that can distract you from keeping your eyes, ears, and concentration on the road and traffic.
May is also National Historic Preservation month. A nationwide observance that is of particular importance as this is the 250th anniversary of the founding of our country. The theme for this years’ celebration is “All People Are Created Equal”. Organized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the month highlights historic sites, neighborhoods, and landmarks that tell the full American story and foster civic connection.
This area has so many historic sites, neighborhoods and landmarks, places that remind us of how far we’ve come, and how far we still have to go. This year, help us celebrate the historic sites, neighborhoods, and landmarks that tell the full American story.
We are fortunate to have had Vanessa Berotozzi as a Village Trustee for six years.
As a champion of our climate action plans, she accomplished so much during her tenure from 2020-2026. Thanks to her actions, we got several grants which were used to reduce our carbon footprint. She also implemented a compost program, reduced our use of salt by using brine on the roads during the winter, and protected amphibians during their spring migrations! Her dedication led to the Village achieving NYSERDA’s Bronze and Silver certification. In recognition of her many accomplishments, and her dedication to the Village, Trustee Bertozzi was presented with the Village’s NYS Bronze achievement certificate recognizing how much the Village Board appreciated all her work on the environment and climate change. In addition she was presented with a crystal plaque of appreciation for her service to this community.
Trustee Lydia Slaby, who guided us through the Comprehensive plan, recently traveled to Detroit, where she received an Honor Award from the American Planning Association’s Small Town and Rural Division – the highest award presented this cycle.
Trustee Slaby noted that this recognition reflects more than two years of intense community-driven work, and the fact that the Plan is already being put to use. The Comprehensive Plan Implementation Committee, seated since October, is actively prioritizing Plan goals, researching grant opportunities, and advancing implementation strategies and conversations with stakeholders such as NYSDOT. Alongside that work, a comprehensive zoning code overhaul supported by a New York State Smart Growth grant is already well underway. Additional outcomes of the Plan are already on the ground: adaptive reuse projects, new housing, infrastructure investments, and successful grant awards. The reviewers for this award specifically flagged the implementation process as a model that other communities should replicate. This award belongs to the community that shaped it.
You can follow the committee’s work at villageofrhinebeck.gov/cpic. Please stay tuned for more news, including a significantly updated zoning code within the year.
And another honor… Congratulations to our very own Village of Rhinebeck Fire/EMS on the 2026 Dutchess County EMS Award for EMS Agency of the year. Thank you for all that you do for us and our community!
Here is the formal announcement of the Official new budget for the Village:
VILLAGE OF RHINEBECK - BOARD OF TRUSTEES
INCLUDING WATER AND SEWER RATE ADJUSTMENTS
DATED: APRIL 14, 2026
The Board of Trustees of the Village of Rhinebeck has prepared and reviewed a proposed budget for the fiscal year beginning June 1, 2026, and ending May 31, 2027; and a duly noticed public hearing on said proposed budget was held on April 14th, 2026, at which time all interested parties were given the opportunity to be heard; and the Board of Trustees has carefully considered the Tentative Budget and all modifications thereto; and the budget includes appropriations for the General Fund, Water Fund, and Sewer Fund, each of which has been reviewed and determined to be necessary for the continued operation of Village services.
The Village’s budget was adopted for the fiscal years 2026-2027 as follows:
General Fund Appropriations: $3,467,007
Mayor’s Annual Salary $25,000 unchanged
Trustees Annual Salary $12,000 (per trustee) unchanged
Water Fund Appropriations: $1,255,478
Water Rate: Unchanged at $8.00 per 1,000 gallons
Sewer Fund Appropriations $1,076,924
Sewer rate: From $14.00 to $14.50 per 1000 gallons
Managing our financial records is getting increasing complex and we’ve outgrown our current financial software system. During the budget process we identified a need and allocated funds to find a better solution that would best fit the Villages needs of a small to medium government agency. We researched multiple companies like Edmonds and Tyler Technologies and Bonadio Group. We wanted an on-line, cloud based system that contained the latest software, updated technology, accounting consulting, increased transparency and streamline AP banking all in one. After speaking to each we decided on the Bonadio Group out of Albany.
The Bonadio Group provides tailor-made solutions that can meet the unique needs of our municipality with an experienced team dedicated to providing proactive solutions and a commitment to go the extra mile. With the Boniado Group we can customize it to outsource everything or tailor it to our needs and budget and maintain our municipal responsibilities.
It does the following:
Provides a subscription-based software, up-to-date with latest mandates
Day-to-day service and availability for consulting for both software and accounting
On-line AP voucher approval that is backed up and stored digitally, eliminating the paper vouchers.
ACH payments reducing paper checks
Monthly bank reconciliations and assist with month-end and year-end close.
All the data remains with the Village and is transferable to other accounting services.
Interactive software for remote assistance with issues.
Interface with PAYCHEX payroll system, eliminating the lengthy journal entries and timely and accurate recording.
Interface with Muni-Link, our water/sewer billing software, and Catalist- Tax Collection software.
We always review the budget to identify any shortage in revenue. Due to increasing rates of electricity, the current rate for EV charging was at a deficit and not meeting our costs for electricity. To correct this, we are changing from the $1.00/hour rate to $.38/kwh for charging. The new rate will be applied to all of the EV Charging stations. The parking rate will remain the same at $1.75/hr.
Happy Anniversary!
Please join me in celebrating our employee anniversaries:
Officer Jaiden Campos – 2 years
As always, please reach out to me with any questions or comments. You can reach me by phone 845-876-7015 ext. 308 at Village Hall or via email: MayorBassett@Villgeofrhinebeck.gov