What We’re Working on for Saranac Lake
Working for the people who live here, every day. Our job is to take care of what we have, make sure the services you rely on are working, and plan ahead so Saranac Lake is ready for what comes next.
That means getting the fundamentals right. Providing reliable water and sewer, safe streets and sidewalks, responsive services, well-maintained public infrastructure, and responsible use of taxpayer dollars. Planning ahead, coordinating projects, securing outside funding, and making smart investments that solve today’s needs without creating tomorrow’s problems.
When the fundamentals are strong, we can continue investing thoughtfully in the parks, recreation, public spaces, and amenities that make Saranac Lake an exceptional place to call home.
Press Releases
Brandee Reiley, Village Manager
Village of Saranac Lake
39 Main Street, Suite 9, Saranac Lake, NY 12983
[email protected] | 518-891-4150 ext. 205
About the Village of Saranac Lake: The Village of Saranac Lake is a home-rule municipality in Essex and Franklin Counties in the Adirondack Park, New York. The Village is a council-manager government with a Mayor and four Trustees elected at-large, and is administered by a professional Village Manager. The Village provides a full range of municipal services, including police, fire, public works, parks and recreation, and wastewater treatment, to approximately 5,000 residents.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 20, 2026
VILLAGE OF SARANAC LAKE COMPLETES ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT, FILES WITH STATE COMPTROLLER
SARANAC LAKE, NY — The Village of Saranac Lake has completed its Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ending May 31, 2026, and filed it with the New York State Office of the State Comptroller. The filing marks a significant milestone in the financial review and systems correction effort the Village announced in September.
A Clean Set of Books
The Village has completed the accounting corrections undertaken with BST Gallagher Flynn LLP. The Village's accounting software, Springbrook, is 100% in balance, and the May 31, 2026 accounting records reconcile to the filed report.
"For the first time in my 8+ years working with the Village of Saranac Lake, your accounting software is 100% in balance and your May 31, 2026, accounting records will perfectly reconcile to the AFR. The mayor and her administration have a fresh start heading into fiscal 2027 from an accounting perspective." -- Brendan K. Kennedy, CPA, Government Niche Leader, Partner, BST Gallagher Flynn LLP
Work Continuing Through the Fall
Filing the AFR is not the end of the work, it is the foundation for what comes next. The Village is continuing to advance financial priorities, establishing sustainable financial tracking, and strengthening internal financial controls.
Entering Budget Season on Solid Ground
The Village will begin its 2027-28 budget process in December with corrected accounting records, a filed AFR, and financial systems that are functioning as they should. The General Fund unrestricted balance as of May 31, 2026, equal to 7.9% of annual expenditures and remains below the 15% threshold recommended by BST, and addressing that gap will be a central focus of the budget process.
"Getting the AFR filed and the books in balance was the first job. Now the work is making sure we stay there. Building the systems and the habits that will close the gap for a sustainable future. That's what we're focused on heading into budget season." -- Brandee Reiley, Village Manager
Both the Water and Sewer Funds continue to maintain positive fund balances.
The Village filed its AFR in September 2026; you can find it here.
About the Village of Saranac Lake: The Village of Saranac Lake is a home-rule municipality in Essex and Franklin Counties in the Adirondack Park, New York. The Village is a council-manager government with a Mayor and four Trustees elected at-large, and is administered by a professional Village Manager. The Village provides a full range of municipal services, including police, fire, public works, parks and recreation, and wastewater treatment, to approximately 5,000 residents.
Media Contact:
Brandee Reiley, Village Manager
Village of Saranac Lake
39 Main Street, Suite 9, Saranac Lake, NY 12983
[email protected] | 518-891-4150 ext. 205
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 9, 2026
VILLAGE OF SARANAC LAKE PROVIDES UPDATE ON ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL REVIEW
SARANAC LAKE, NY — The Village of Saranac Lake is providing residents with an update on its ongoing financial review following completion of a draft Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ending May 31, 2026.
Earlier this year, the Village engaged BST & Co. CPAs, LLP to assist with year-end accounting, preparation of the Annual Financial Report, account reconciliations, financial reporting, and a broader review of Village accounting practices and internal controls.
That work has provided the Village with a clearer assessment of its financial position and identified several areas requiring continued attention.
General Fund
The Village's General Fund balance declined from approximately $7.43 million at May 31, 2024 to $5.15 million at May 31, 2026, a decrease of approximately $2.28 million over two fiscal years.
Approximately $1.28 million of the fiscal year 2025 decrease was attributable to the purchase of a fire truck. Excluding that purchase, the General Fund declined approximately $581,000 during fiscal year 2025 and another approximately $415,000 during fiscal year 2026.
Of particular concern is the amount of General Fund balance that remains unrestricted and available for general purposes. As of May 31, 2026, unrestricted fund balance was approximately $570,000, equal to 7.9% of annual General Fund expenditures. BST recommends maintaining unrestricted fund balance equal to at least 15% of average annual expenditures.
The adopted 2026-27 General Fund budget also appropriates $630,648 in fund balance to support current-year operations.
Maintaining the current level of spending without budget modifications would make continued reliance on unrestricted fund balance increasingly difficult in future budgets.
Accounting and Financial Reporting
The review has also identified accounting and reconciliation practices requiring correction and improvement.
Capital Projects and Community Development funds had been maintained out of balance for an undetermined period, including through the Village's transition to its current Springbrook financial software. BST has developed the accounting adjustments necessary to bring those funds into balance and is working with Springbrook on implementation.
A high-level reconciliation of Village cash as of May 31 determined that cash was materially accurately reported. More detailed reconciliation procedures are now being established to ensure that Village accounting records are routinely reconciled against bank activity.
The Village is also implementing regular budget-to-actual reporting, reserve reconciliations, capital project accounting and monthly financial reporting.
The review also identified positive financial indicators. Both the Water and Sewer Funds generated surpluses during fiscal year 2026 and maintained substantial fund balances.
Moving Forward
The Village's financial priorities now include:
• Closely monitoring expenditure against the adopted budget
• Establishing detailed financial tracking for individual capital projects
• Reconciling Village reserves
• Strengthening internal financial controls
• Providing regular financial reporting to the Village Board and the public
The Village expects this work to continue throughout the fall, with the goal of establishing a consistent monthly financial reporting process.
"The Board has been clear about what it needs, accurate, timely financial information to make good decisions for residents. My focus is making sure we have the systems and reporting in place to provide that information throughout the year, not just at year-end. That’s the work we’re doing, and it’s important work for the Village." --Brandee Reiley, Village Manager
The draft Annual Financial Report remains subject to final review and filing with the New York State Office of the State Comptroller.
About the Village of Saranac Lake: The Village of Saranac Lake is a home-rule municipality in Essex and Franklin Counties in the Adirondack Park, New York. The Village is a council-manager government with a Mayor and four Trustees elected at-large, and is administered by a professional Village Manager. The Village provides a full range of municipal services, including police, fire, public works, parks and recreation, and wastewater treatment, to approximately 5,000 residents.
Media Contact:
Brandee Reiley, Village Manager
Village of Saranac Lake
39 Main Street, Suite 9, Saranac Lake, NY 12983
[email protected] | 518-891-4150 ext. 205
Village Financial Review & Reporting
Earlier this year, the Village engaged BST Gallagher Flynn LLP to conduct a comprehensive review of Village finances, accounting practices, and internal controls. The Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ending May 31, 2026 has been completed and filed with the New York State Office of the State Comptroller.
The review identified accounting and reconciliation practices that required correction, and that work is now complete. The Village's accounting software is 100% in balance, and the May 31, 2026 accounting records reconcile to the filed report. Capital Projects and Community Development fund accounting has been brought into balance. Routine bank reconciliation procedures are in place.
The Village's General Fund unrestricted balance remains below recommended levels at approximately 7.9% of annual expenditures, against a 15% minimum recommended by BST. Addressing that gap is a central priority of the upcoming budget process. The Village's Water and Sewer Funds remain in positive standing.
The Village is continuing to advance financial priorities, establishing sustainable financial tracking, and strengthening internal financial controls.
✓ Annual Financial Report completed and filed
✓ Accounting software brought into balance
✓ Accounting records reconciled to the filed report
✓ Routine bank reconciliation procedures established
✓ Finance department assessment underway
August 2026 | Manager's Update
August was a month of getting work done while continuing to strengthen how we manage the work ahead.
Our crews were out paving streets and improving sidewalks, water and wastewater staff continued maintaining the systems we depend on every day, Parks began preparing Mt. Pisgah for winter, and Police responded to 271 calls for service. Behind the scenes, we continued working through financial closeout, coordinating a substantial number of infrastructure projects and grants, and putting better systems in place to track the Village's work and resources.
Getting the Basics Right
Roads and sidewalks were a major focus this month. DPW advanced work on Ampersand Avenue, John Munn Road, Grove Street and Franklin Avenue, with additional paving planned as time and weather allow. Water and sewer staff worked alongside the highway crew while continuing their regular responsibilities maintaining Village system
The Village also continued routine water and wastewater maintenance, including tank maintenance and coordination of upcoming infrastructure work with our engineers.
“It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
This month we continued financial closeout and reconciliation while beginning to look ahead at future labor, infrastructure, debt and operating costs. We are also reviewing our CHIPS and PAVE-NY road funding against Village road expenditures to make sure we are taking advantage of the State reimbursement available to us.
We're also changing how we look at grants. Winning a grant is only the beginning. We need to know what has been spent, what has been reimbursed, what the Village is responsible for, and what a project will cost us to maintain after the grant is gone. That same approach is being built into our grant tracking across departments. The Board discussed this publicly in August as part of the Police Youth Program grant.
Wastewater improvements, Boothe River Park, Baldwin Park, Dorsey Street, Lake Colby, the Riverwalk, APA headquarters work, streets and other projects can affect the same properties, infrastructure, funding and construction schedules.
Planning the Work Before We Build
We're beginning to manage those projects as one Village portfolio rather than as individual projects. Planning work in the right order, understanding the full cost before we commit, and avoiding paying twice to disturb something we just finished.
Taking Care of the Places We Enjoy
The fundamentals come first, but August was also a good reminder of how much quality of life matters here.
Music on the Green was a highlight of the summer, bringing residents together for great music and summer evenings in Riverside Park.
Lake Colby Beach wrapped up another summer season, our Community Ride series continued through August, and Music on the Green brought people together at Riverside Park. Meanwhile, Village staff we're already working ahead on Mt. Pisgah, including lift-shack improvements and planning around the mountain's snowmaking and electrical needs.
These are the things that go beyond basic municipal services, but they're also a big part of what makes Saranac Lake home. Our responsibility is to take care of them thoughtfully and make sure the investments we make in quality of life are ones we can sustain.
Celebrating Years of Service
August also gave us the opportunity to recognize two longtime Village employees as they begin a well-earned retirement: Darrell Hough and Sergeant Reyanin Brown.
There is a lot of experience behind the services residents rely on every day, and that experience comes from people who have spent years showing up, doing the work, solving problems, and serving this community.
Darrell's years of service to the Village and Reyanin's career serving and protecting Saranac Lake are part of that story.
We are incredibly grateful to both of them for everything they have given to Saranac Lake and wish them nothing but the best in whatever comes next.
Their retirements are also an important reminder of our responsibility as a Village: to recognize the people who have built and maintained our services, pass along their knowledge, and make sure the next generation of Village employees is ready to carry that work forward.
What We're Working on Next
As we head into September, we're already preparing for winter while continuing the work in front of us now.
Financial forecasting, fall paving and infrastructure work, winter equipment and staffing readiness, continuity, road reimbursement reconciliation, and coordination of our major capital projects and grants are among the priorities ahead. We'll keep sharing that work here, not just the finished projects, but what we're working on, what challenges we're solving, and what's coming next.
Day-to-Day Administration
Constituent Services & Accessibility
Residents should be able to reach their Village government easily and get a clear, timely response. The Manager's office coordinates constituent concerns across departments, tracks follow-through, and works to ensure that no question or complaint falls through the cracks. If you have a concern about Village services, this office is your first call.
Departmental Operations & Board Readiness
Department reports, board meeting preparation, agenda management, and clerk coordination are the operational backbone of Village governance. The Manager's office ensures that the Board has what it needs to act at every meeting, and that the record of those actions is complete, accurate, and accessible to residents.
Fiscal Transparency & Capital Planning
The Village has secured grants and reserves for municipal public infrastructure and facilities. The Manager's office is committed to ensuring every capital decision is grounded in what residents can responsibly sustain, and that the financial basis for every decision is presented to the Board and the public before commitments are made.
Municipal Infrastructure and Facility
The Board has established a budget-first framework for the public projects. The Manager's office is leading the analysis of long-term sustainability and maintenance costs, financial contributions, and responsible financing options, answering foundational questions before financial decisions are made. The Board's first priority is the sustainable needs of Village residents.
The Village of Saranac Lake operates under a council-manager form of government, one of the most widely used structures in American municipal government, and one specifically designed to separate professional administration from elected governance.
Separating that work from the political process protects both elected officials, who can focus on policy and community priorities, and the administration, which can focus on executing those priorities well. For residents, it means you have both: elected officials who represent your values and a professional manager who runs your government competently.