Local governments are readying their budget plans.
The Albany County city of Cohoes is among the first to release a 2025 budget proposal. Democratic Mayor Bill Keeler says the nearly $28.5 million dollar package fully staffs all departments, with public safety representing a significant portion of the spending, and General Fund spending is down by 4.65% from the 2024 adjusted budget.
"We've been tremendously successful in our efforts to secure state and federal funding, so that allowed us to cut spending year over year," said Keeler. "I mean, yes, inflation, on the one hand, is taking its toll in that we're paying higher prices for everything, including labor, chemicals at the water treatment plant, things like that. But the flip side of that is the public is paying higher prices for goods and services, and that's reflected in sales tax revenue. So our revenue stream from sales tax is coming in higher year after year. So I really saw no need to raise the property taxes. I mean, look, our rainy day fund is probably at a record level of $6.5 million. And on top of that, we have $4.5 million in a capital fund set aside for paving. So all told, we've got an $11 million surplus on a $28.5 million budget."
Last time around the Albany Common Council unanimously approved Mayor Kathy Sheehan’s $226 million city budget plan for 2024. It made substantial investments in public safety, recreation, streets, sustainability, and the city workforce.
David Galin is the third-term Democrat’s Chief of Staff. He says the budget will be presented October 1. "You're going to see a continuation of the investments in Lincoln Park pool, Albany West, Albany south. Double digit millions of dollar investments in streets and sidewalks, the Washington Park playground, " said Galin.
Eighth Ward Councilor Sergio Adams is on the common council's finance committee. He especially interested in provisions addressing housing, quality of life and public safety.
"Trying to fund and trying to get assistance with our housing court," Adams said. "Trying to make sure that the backlog of people who are dealing with the housing court and having issues with staying in their apartments, that were assisting residents, but other organizations that are doing that work to keep people housed. Right now, a lot of people are losing their housing at this moment, having to deal with the court system and landlords. So that's one of my things that I've been trying to advocate for, is getting funding for some prevention. The other thing too, that, or on top of that, is, you know, the last few years, we've been focusing on the parks around the city of Albany. We focused on, like, the really bigger ones and ones that were needed some of our different in some of our other communities, but I think there's still a big push right now to try to address the quality of life issues around the parks in the neighborhoods."
Schenectady County Manager Rory Fluman is scheduled to present his proposal to the county legislature October 1. County officials were not available for comment.
Last year the City of Schenectady's nearly $110 million city budget was held up for weeks by clashes between Mayor Gary McCarthy and fellow Democrats who control the city council. Sticking points were water, sewer and trash fees and public safety funding.
In mid-December, following weeks of debate and two vetoes by McCarthy, the city council passed the plan in a special meeting by a 4 to 3 vote, avoiding a government shutdown. That spending package was boosted by $7.4 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding, money that won't be there for the new budget, which has raised concerns about a major deficit and triggered rumors of another stalemate.
Over the summer, McCarthy, who began a new four-year term this year, proposed that the city charter be amended to set a November 1 budget deadline. Schenectady City Councilor Doreen Ditoro tells WAMC that McCarthy's proposal never got any traction and as for the 2025 budget, she's "not listening to anything on the street" and has no comment until the mayor formally presents it.
