Sleepy Hollow residents' bid to raise funds for police department falls short

A summer fundraising effort to spare the Sleepy Hollow police department from draconian cuts may have fallen well short of its goal, but a village trustee says other factors will enable the village to shrink a budget gap of more than $220,000. For the time being, at least.

In May, Trustee Scott Finney proposed an initiative to "save the Sleepy Hollow police" by knocking on doors and soliciting donations. At that time, trustees had proposed reducing staff and eliminating certain shifts to overcome the deficit. The police department accounts for almost 60 percent of the village's budget.

Within weeks, Finney said, it was clear the group would not achieve its goal.

"We had a couple of dozen folks who stepped up for it," Finney said. "But we were thwarted by members of the board and the mayor. We were just not able to overcome the internal resistance."

Residents raised less than $5,000, said Carol Grom, a Sleepy Hollow resident who tried to build support for the effort.

But after reviewing the budget, which the board has yet to approve, Finney said, the village could resolve the financial crisis without relying on donations from residents. After reworking projected revenues and expenses, the village is now within $35,000 of eliminating the deficit, he said.

The retirement of an administrative assistant, coupled with an unfilled position in the public works department saved the village about $80,000. In addition, revised projections from state income tax revenue would add almost $100,000 to the village's budget. The village's reserves would cover the remainder, Finney said.

"The plan now is to set up for the next fiscal year and the years after that," Finney said.

However, Village President Stephen Pickett warned the deficit will grow.

"That deficit is as it stands today," Pickett said. "But if you multiply that by four, you get $140,000. In the long-range, the deficit will probably be in the vicinity of $200,000."

Pickett said the village is still considering layoffs, furloughs and revenue generators such as increasing vehicle sticker costs.

"Ths situation is fluid," Pickett said.