Welcome to The Village of Cambridge

This question, and similar variations, seems to come up often, so we thought we’d provide a brief overview of some of the benefits resulting from your village tax dollars.

• Fire Protection – while the fire department does a lot of fund raising, the volunteer department can’t do it alone, so the village plays a critical role keeping a properly equipped department always at the ready.  The village owns the firehouse and pays for the utilities, the village purchases every other fire truck, administers the fire contracts with the neighboring towns, and pays for the water that keeps the hydrants throughout the village at the ready.
• Police Protection – the village is a safe place to live and work due in large part to our dedicated local police force.  Our department is well trained and assists with programs beyond the village, such as the Washington County drug task force (for which the village receives reimbursement for services provide outside the village). The village has a shared services agreement with the Village of Greenwich, which lowers costs to both villages by splitting the cost of the police chief, assistance chief, and their vehicles.  In addition Cambridge officers are assisted by Greenwich officers and vice versa, with a detailed accounting that keeps the hours between the villages balanced to within minutes each month.
• Public Works – the village DPW accomplishes a tremendous amount of work with a relatively small staff.  Residents can take advantage of leaf and debris pick-up each year, help themselves to free mulch, have sidewalks cleared within hours of a snow storm (when we actually get snow), and have the streets nearly continually maintained through all seasons of the year. Failing sections of sidewalk are replaced every year, storm drains are kept clear, and many other tasks are completed to keep the village running smoothly.
• Street lighting – the village pays the electric bill for all the street lights that help you walk home at night in the dark and add to the safety and security of our many streets and sidewalks.
• Historical records – the village maintains a collection of historical records and allows a means of access for the public to research the history of the village and/or their families.
• Youth program – the village youth department provides after school programs as well as a summer program for both village and neighboring residents.  These programs are offered at a reduced or no cost to village residents.
• Library – the village administers the funding for purchases of new books and materials by the library.
• Community revitalization – the village administers and contributes matching funds to many grants that help improve the quality of life in the village  - for example the recently opened playground next to the soon to be open skate park, the freight yard project, and the soon to be started (April/May 2012) Main Street improvements project.
• Support for community events – while little to no taxpayer money is involved, the Village Board is very supportive of the many great events put on by the Chamber and other organizations that enhance the quality of life in the village, as well as helping to bring tourism dollars to the village.  The Tour of the Battenkill, for example, has the primary focus in the village due in large part to the amount of support received from the Village Board, DPW, Police, and Fire Department. Having the Tour events in the village brings thousands of racers and visitors to stay in our hotel rooms, eat at our restaurants, and make purchases at our local stores, which obviously has a significant impact on our local economy.
• These are just some of the many ways the village government helps to makes Cambridge a great place to live.  There are numerous other activities that often go unnoticed, but add to the success of the village.  The Village Board continues to seek out cost saving measures so as to provide quality services while maintaining fiscal responsibility. If you have questions or suggestions we encourage you to come to a board meeting (first Wednesday of every month), stop by the Mayor’s office hours every other Friday from 10-12, send us an email or give us a call.