Story and photo by MATTHEW ALBECK JEFFERSONVILLE — The Town of Callicoon renewed their coverage with Mike Preis Inc. Insurance Agency after a discussion with representative David Bodenstein at their meeting on Monday, May 12. “The market is pretty tight right now,” Bodenstein said, and revealed a cost increase of approximately 10 percent to the town. When Town Supervisor Tom Bose mentioned that a nearby town only had a 5 percent increase, Bodenstein replied, “It’s impossible to compare municipalities.” Bose praised Bodenstein for his reliability and thanked him for his 20 years of service working with the Town of Callicoon. School budget presented The board heard from Sullivan West Central School District Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Bressler, who presented a school district budget of $43,266,206 for the school year of 2025-2026. Bressler thanked the board for approving her budget last year, which allowed the school district to have Driver’s Education during school hours and continue agricultural science programs, which gave students the opportunity to participate in state and national conventions. Last year the school also added two armed security guards, one in each building, in addition to their student resource officers. “None of that’s possible without the community’s support,” Bressler noted. Bressler reported a 2.99 percent increase to the tax levy and identified the following cost drivers: a 5.5 percent increase in health insurance, a 17 percent increase in school insurance, increased retirement systems, and increased consumer price index. She also mentioned a new capital project costing around $1.5 million. Bose thanked Bressler for her presentation and reminded everyone to vote on the school district budget on Tuesday, May 20.