TOWN OF WALLKILL – Former Wallkill Supervisor George Serrano is firing back at current Supervisor Frank DenDanto over the town’s financial problems, challenging him to provide evidence for claims that previous administrations mismanaged the town’s finances.
Wallkill is facing a proposed 64 percent property tax increase for 2027 as the town confronts a potential budget crisis. DenDanto, a Democrat, has blamed the previous administration for the town’s financial problems, saying the town inflated its revenues and operated with what he characterized as a $43 million budget when it was actually closer to $54 million.
Serrano, who served four years as supervisor, disputed those claims and said the public should be shown specific financial records supporting them.
“If the claim is that prior administrations deliberately overstated revenues, then the public should be shown exactly where that occurred, in which fiscal year, by what amount, and what specific accounting or budgeting practice supports that conclusion,” Serrano, a Republican, said.
Serrano also questioned how the town was able to pay its bills, provide services, and operate within the state property-tax cap if previous budgets were fundamentally flawed.
“It makes little sense to simply point to a proposed 60-plus-percent property-tax increase and say that the prior budgets were ‘bad’ without explaining the specific financial circumstances that supposedly require such a dramatic increase,” Serrano said.
The town’s financial situation has also drawn criticism from state lawmakers. Senator James Skoufis (D, Cornwall) and Assemblywoman Paula Kay (D, Rock Hill) secured a combined $4 million in state aid for Wallkill this year to help address its financial problems.
The lawmakers said this week that the proposed 64 percent tax increase is “untenable” for residents and urged the town to find alternatives to the potential massive tax hike. The State Comptroller’s Office has also raised concerns about Wallkill’s finances, including questions about revenue and expenditure projections and the town’s financial records. Serrano said his administration operated through an annual budget process that included public meetings and oversight by elected officials and town professionals.
“We provided services to the residents, paid the town’s obligations, and worked to keep the annual budget within the property-tax cap,” he said.
Serrano also called for the release of any independent audit concerning his administration.
“If an independent auditor has completed a report concerning my administration, I welcome its public release,” Serrano said. “Let the residents of Wallkill review the complete findings and supporting documentation for themselves.”
Serrano said there is a distinction between Wallkill facing financial problems today and accusing a former administration of intentionally or improperly managing public finances.
“Those are two very different claims,” he said. “I stand by the work my administration did on behalf of the residents of the Town of Wallkill. We worked to maintain services, operate within the tax cap, address the town’s financial structure, and make responsible decisions with taxpayer dollars.”
Last week, DenDanto said Wallkill’s financial issues could reach a boiling point when he releases the findings of an independent auditor hired by the town to review budgeting practices while the previous administration was in office.
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