We’re quickly approaching the time where next year’s budgets are determined and approved. Please see below for important dates and steps to take during your 2026 budget planning.
On or before Sept. 20 | Adopt proposed budget for 2026
- File budget with the fire district secretary.
- Post budget on the fire district’s website (if the district maintains a website).
- Provide a copy of the proposed budget for 2026 — including fund balance estimate for 2025 — to the town clerk.
Oct. 1-6 | Post notice of budget hearing on fire district website & signboard (if district maintains a website/signboard)
- Provide a copy of notice of budget hearing to the town clerk (each town clerk must post the notice on their town’s website, their town’s bulletin board, and their town’s signboard).
- Provide a copy of notice of budget hearing to secretaries of fire districts (each fire district secretary receiving notice must post it to the district website).
On or before Oct. 16 | Publish notice of budget hearing in an official newspaper — or in a newspaper having general circulation in the district — and publicly post notice.
Any day in the third week of October | Hold budget hearing.
Oct. 21 – Nov. 4 | Subject to certain restrictions, make changes, alterations, and revisions to proposed budget.
- Before adopting the fire district annual budget, determine if the tax levy will exceed the tax levy cap. If so, the fire district must pass a resolution by a 60% vote of its board to override the tax cap.
On or before Nov. 4 | Submit the fire district budget/tax cap form to the New York State Comptroller’s Office on the form prescribed by them.
- Adopt fire district annual budget
On or before Nov. 7 | Fire district secretary delivers two (2) certified copies of fire district annual budget for 2026 to town clerks and obtains receipt.