By Dave Lucas
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-863692.mp3
Albany, NY – Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings has unveiled his proposed 2010 City Of Albany Budget... Capital District Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports.
The Mayor says his 163-point-3 Million dollar spending plan is something he's proud of... last year the city faced a 15 million dollar budget shortfall. Jennings called the cuts in state aid payments "unfair and inequitable" and without that funding, the mayor has come up with a budget he believes is fair, given the economic hard times. Homeowners would face a small tax increase of about $69 more next year for a house assessed at $150,000 because the value of the city's commercial properties has declined ... Pointing a finger at the state, The Mayor says Albany isn't being treated fairly.
Anton Konev is the Democratic and Independence Party nominee for 11th ward common council...the long time critic of the Jennings administration questions whether the new budget is tailored to the election year.
Jennings is planning to meet with state officials in the weeks to come to re-initiate the Harriman Campus development plan ... Federal grant money will be used to fill 10 police department positions left vacant last year... the mayor also hopes to eventually restore 20 firefighters' jobs that were cut in last year's budget. It's up to the common council to approve a budget by the end of November.
You can view Mayor Jenning's proposed 2010 budget (PDF Format) HERE.