New York State Senator Pete Harckham announced today that $2.3 million in grant funding that he secured is heading to local municipalities for various improvement and infrastructure projects, all of which will help residents without impacting local property taxes.
Harckham’s announcement came at a press conference held at Chilmark Park. Each municipality in the 40th Senate District is receiving $100,000 in grants (Putnam County is receiving $200,000), which are part of the State Community Resiliency, Economic Sustainability, and Technology Program (CREST) funding. The funding for the municipalities is without restriction; officials can use their own discretion for how it should be spent.
Joining Harckham was a bipartisan group of more than a dozen local elected leaders who spoke about how they plan to use the grant funding for projects in their municipalities.
“The quality of life for our local residents is most impacted by their immediate town and village governments, and knowing the challenges they are facing, it’s important to be able to offer them the financial resources that will help them deal with issues like public safety, aging infrastructure and climate resiliency,” said Harckham. “Local leaders know what their communities need. I’m pleased to be able to fund some of the initiatives that are ongoing or being lined up around Senate District 40 and look forward to partnering with these municipalities them to help our constituents and ease their property tax burdens as well.”
To see a video of the press conference, click here.
Harckham has secured more than $29 million in capital grants for the towns, cities and villages across SD40 through CREST, the Local Community Assistance Program (LOCAP) and State Aid to Municipalities (SAM) grants since taking office in 2019. That includes $15.1 million just for local governments and $8 million-plus for first responders—local police and fire departments, EMTs, ambulance corps, public safety professionals.
Added Harckham, “This funding shows that I am willing to work with all the communities and local leaders as they move forward with important projects that will benefit their communities.”
Briarcliff Manor Mayor Steven Vescio, who hosted the press conference, said, “We are thankful to Senator Harckham for procuring these funds to assist with the continued improvements of Chilmark Park. This funding will allow the Village to proceed with the creation of much desired additional pickleball courts and other site amenities.”
Ossining Mayor Rika Levin said, “The CREST funding we’ve received from the Senator over the past two years is enabling many beneficial projects, including the construction of a new playground, solarization of police headquarters, transportation for Ossining’s Youth Bureau and decontamination equipment for our volunteer fire department. We are incredibly grateful for this past support, and the new funding will be put to good use to further sustainable, community benefits for our residents.”
Buchanan Mayor Theresa Knickerbocker said, “The Village of Buchanan appreciates Senator Harckham’s funding. This is much needed money and has been used over the years for needed upgrades and repairs to our beautiful Pavilion which is a wonderful asset to our Village and is used by the Residents for events and our Summer Camp.”
Croton-on-Hudson Deputy Mayor Len Simon said, “Through Senator Pete Harckham’s outstanding leadership, Croton-on-Hudson is poised to achieve major improvements in its Department of Public Works (DPW) operations. CREST funding will pay for 50% of a new DPW truck for hauling materials and removing debris from construction sites in our growing Village. It will far out-perform the aging and deteriorating 34-year-old truck it is replacing, including enhancing the safety for our DPW team and the air quality for our community. The savings Croton realizes by the addition of the CREST funds will enable us to allocate new resources to critical infrastructure needs and community services. Croton-on-Hudson is very grateful to Senator Harckham for helping us take this great step forward on behalf of all our residents.”
Ossining Town Supervisor Elizabeth Feldman said, “The Town of Ossining is currently designing a state-of-the-art covered stage to enhance our entertainment offerings at our waterfront park throughout the year. We are grateful to Senator Harckham for providing this funding, which will go a long way toward helping this dream become a reality.”
Cortlandt Town Supervisor Dr. Richard Becker said, “The Town of Cortlandt is grateful to Sen. Peter Harckham for delivering a $100,000 CREST grant that will be used to fund public infrastructure. Without such funding, the completion of necessary construction projects would be impossible. The Town of Cortlandt will quickly utilize these funds to create a ‘pocket park’ on Route 9 in Montrose on the site of a former gas station. This beautiful new park will serve as the site for rest and relaxation within the Montrose Business District. In addition, the Town of Cortlandt plans to update its municipal signage, welcoming residents to our town. This will absolutely help attract customers to our local businesses. Reinvestment in our community is key to our future growth, and all of this is made possible by the generous assistance of Sen. Harckham.”
Peekskill Mayor Vivian McKenzie said, “The City of Peekskill is pleased and grateful for New York State funding made available through Senator Harckham’s efforts to make our city safer and more accommodating for pedestrians who live, work and visit our city every day. Pedestrian safety continues to be a priority for Peekskill. This funding will ensure that we do our best for those who walk in Peekskill.”
