The Town of Clifton Park in conjunction with the New York State Canal Corporation and the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor will host Canal Fest in the Vischer Ferry Historic District on October 11-12, 2025, in celebration of the bicentennial anniversary of the opening of the Erie Canal.
This year marks the 200th anniversary of the creation of the Erie Canal, a waterway that shaped our nation and impacted the settlement of what is now the Town of Clifton Park. In decades past Clifton Park has celebrated the significance of the Erie Canal with an annual Canal Days celebration. Being the bicentennial anniversary, this is the perfect year to resurrect those events and celebrate.
Canal Fest will take place over both days of the weekend and will be held at various locations throughout the Vischer Ferry Historic District including Amity Church, the Vischer Ferry General Store, the firehouse, and the Vischer Ferry Historic Nature Preserve. There will be food trucks, performances, guided tours and exhibits. The event kicks off on October 11th at 9:30 am, with a dedication ceremony for the new historic marker at the access road to the Vischer Ferry Cemetery followed by a parade down Riverview Road at 10:30am and continues through Sunday afternoon.
“The proximity of Clifton Park to the Erie Canal and the role it has played throughout our history is part of what makes our Town so unique. I look forward to celebrating this distinct heritage alongside residents during this meaningful and fun commemorative weekend,” said Councilwoman Reid.
The Town of Clifton Park 2026 Tentative Budget has been released. The budget includes significant investments in our infrastructure, parks and nature preserves, programs, services and many other important elements. Town budgets are structured utilizing separate funds and special districts in New York State. The General Fund is the budget for general town operations, and the Highway Fund is the budget for the Highway Department. The 2026 Tentative Budget remains within the New York State Tax Cap restrictions.
The total spending in the Tentative Budget for the General Fund is $24,220,023 and total spending for the Highway Fund is $7,578,002. The Tentative Budget begins the budget process that will include budget workshops and a public hearing. The figures in the Tentative Budget can change as the budget process progresses. The final budget adopted by the Town Board can also change during a given calendar year based on additional investments and projects undertaken by the Town Board for the General or Highway Funds. The NYS Assembly and Senate have approved legislation during the legislative session, not signed or vetoed by the Governor as of today. It is possible positive action by the Governor on pieces of legislation, which may occur during the budget process or later this year, could also precipitate changes in the budget. One important bill in this category would remove funding for EMS agencies from the tax cap calculations. This legislation is crucial for the future viability of EMS agencies contracted by Clifton Park and municipalities throughout our area and across the state.
The budget maintains no tax for the General Fund. The Highway Fund tax will increase from .327883 per thousand of assessed value to .33441 per thousand of assessed value resulting in a total tax of $36.12 for a home with a full market value of $300,000. The EMS tax will increase from .329383 per thousand of assessed value to .337073 per thousand of assessed value equating to a total tax of $36.40 for a home with a full market value of $300,000.
The Tentative budget includes a 3.5% COLA for all Town employees. We are also balancing significant increases in healthcare costs and the mandatory annual contribution all government organizations are required to allocate for the New York State Retirement Fund. Per the NYS Comptroller’s statistics Clifton Park ranks 911 of 931 Towns in the state in municipal property taxes. In addition, Saratoga County has the lowest property taxes and sales tax rate in NYS. The NYS Tax Cap system has continued to be a challenge, due to high inflation rates in recent years as well as rising healthcare and operational costs. As a government with low municipal taxes, the less than 2% allowable increase in the total tax levy per the Tax Cap provides a very small amount of money to allocate for budget purposes.
The Town Board has allocated $3.45 million for paving and construction activities associated with road improvements for 2025. A portion or all funds not spent by the Highway Department for paving in 2025, will be considered for allocation in the 2026 budget, adding to the $1,650,000 included in the Tentative Budget for paving. This budget adjustment may occur during the budget process or in 2026. Currently, invoices totaling $1.182 million of the $3.45 of allocated funds have been submitted.
The Town of Clifton Park has a multitude of programs for people of all ages. The programs and services we enjoyed this summer at our camps, pools and recreational facilities will continue to be offered in 2026. The 1500 members of the Clifton Park Senior Community Center as well as the people who use the Senior Transportation program will experience full support for these programs and activities in 2026.
Clifton Park remains in a strong fiscal position, although our Town is not immune to the challenges faced by many communities in the state. We will continue to be as flexible as possible throughout the year to identify and address important issues to our Town, while maintaining the strong financial status and low municipal taxes that have attributed to Clifton Park’s rising property values and increasing tax base. An increasing tax base is an important element of any municipality’s fiscal future, for funding both municipal services and our school systems.
We are consistently working to improve our parks and budgeting for upgrades and maintenance annually. We also plan in advance for major projects in specific parks when needs necessitate a larger investment of funds. For example, earlier this year the Town Board approved funding for a redevelopment of Martin Jewitt Longkill Park off Longkill Road. The plan will result in new playground equipment, new basketball court, revamped parking areas and other amenities.
We are currently discussing ideas for improving the Mary Jane Row Dog Park which is accessible from Ray Road. Some of the ideas include new amenities for park visitors, new exercise equipment features within the fenced areas that can be enjoyed by our pets, improvements to the parking lot and park entrance and other possibilities. This post includes some examples of equipment we have been reviewing. Councilman Tony Morelli will be spearheading this effort with Parks and Recreation liaisons Councilwoman Walowit and Councilwoman Reid.
Please send your thoughts, ideas and firsthand experiences while using the park to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The information you share will be very helpful during our planning process. As we make progress with the planning process, we will offer options for further public review and comment. Thank you for assisting us with this endeavor.
For the fourth consecutive year, Supervisor Barrett, as Chairman of the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors and the Saratoga County Department of Aging and Youth Services, announces a sponsorship opportunity for FREE American Red Cross Lifeguard and/or Water Safety Instructor training. With New York State funding from the Office of Children and Family Services, there will be 20 slots available for people 15 to 17 years old to obtain lifeguard certification and become employable for the 2026 summer season!
This program has assisted Clifton Park and other communities in increasing the number of certified lifeguards working in our communities following a sharp drop in numbers during the Pandemic. We consistently need more lifeguards in an effort to build back our team to pre-pandemic levels. The free training opportunity eliminates the barrier of training expenses and allows lifeguards to be certified in advance of the 2026 pool season. For general information regarding lifeguard opportunities, please contact the Clifton Park Parks and Recreation department at 518-371-6667.
CONTACT: Anthony Morelli 518-371-6651 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Food Collection Events for Local Food Pantries
The Town of Clifton Park has held food collection events for the benefit of local pantries and in partnership with people working to help people in other parts of the country affected by natural disasters. During and following the Covid Pandemic we held food drives that were very successful due to the incredible generosity of our community. The Town partnered with a Clifton Park family who was delivering food and personal needs to the people of North Carolina following Hurricane Helene to collect donations. When an apartment fire occurred earlier this year, a local business owner Chad Gregory, established a drop off point for donations and once again the outpouring of support ensured the people displaced by the fire had food, personal items and furniture during a difficult situation. The Town has held two Shredding Day events per year for many years. During these events, we collect food donations for the Helping Hands food pantry in Jonesville.
We are now asking for your assistance again.
This week we have heard from many people concerned with the government shutdown and its effect on food programs. The local food pantries can likely expect a surge in requests for food as funding for programs run out. Therefore, two collections will be held in the next few days. We will have volunteers collecting donations of non-perishable food, toiletries, pet food and other similar items families need on a daily basis.
Please drop off your donations on Sunday, November 2nd, from 1-3pm at the Clifton Park Senior Community Center on the Common. The Common is easily accessible from Vischer Ferry Road. For your convenience donations can also be made on Monday, November 3rd, 3-5pm at 1858 Route 9, Clifton Park, NY 12065.
The two locations available on different days provide additional opportunities and convenience in making your donations. We have several food pantries in town and all will benefit from your donations.
