Saratoga Springs’ budget is nearing completion, but some shortfalls remain.
Democratic Finance Commissioner Minita Sanghvi presented an amended $62.6 million budget for 2025 at a November 4th city council meeting, weeks after she had warned of a tight fiscal year.
“Like every other municipality and most households, we are experiencing increased cost of utilities, just like Supervisor Veitch was talking about. The products we purchase, gas and oil, we are also seeing increases in costs for liability, insurance, health insurance, and overall wages from mandatory contractual raises,” said Sanghvi.
Paid parking was implemented in all city-owned lots beginning in late July, later than originally planned. Sanghvi said the program generated roughly $244,000 in revenue after one-time installation costs during the shorter window of operation. The amended budget projects a full run of the program from Memorial Day through Labor Day will generate $465,000.
Cannabis sales tax revenues are also expected to pick up now that two dispensaries are operating in the city after major delays.
The state legislature sent Governor Kathy Hochul a bill that would allow local municipalities to implement short-term rental regulations, but Sanghvi is resistant to budget for that income until the legislation is signed.
The 2024 budget was $62.59 million. Sanghvi says the minute increase is deceiving.
“The larger departments had larger savings in the healthcare lines which allowed us to give more money back to the department without adding additional funds. So, [Department of Public Safety] for example, had the largest savings of $1,046,000, while Recreation had the smallest at $13,018,” said Sanghvi.
Sanghvi says the total savings due to lower-than-expected insurance costs equates to $1.6 million.
Rising overtime lines account for much of the increases in personnel costs.
“The mayor’s office we have added $18,500, DPW we have added $28,050, which will then put DPW at $196,250 in overtime. DPS, we added $534,450 for DPS overtime to be $957,450,” said Sanghvi.
Public Safety Commissioner Tim Coll had concerns that his department, which accounts for $36.4 million or roughly 58% of the amended budget, was coming under budget by roughly $100,000.
“We have two clerks on our police department that have to process the discovery obligations for when criminal cases go forward. We eliminated one of those positions, I think that was done by accident, but we are now one body there and we just can’t have that. So, we have two bodies there now, one person is retiring at the end of the year, we have already hired the second person but we have no funding next year for that person so that’s something we need to look at really closely,” said Coll.
Sanghvi did not recommend raising taxes this year, but said she plans to in the 2026 budget.
Sanghvi offered to move money from Public Safety’s overtime budget, or said the council could approve a tax increase. Coll proposed a 2% increase to help cover the shortfall but it did not pass.
The city’s budget also has a roughly $2.2 million line for projects including a $138,000 radio transmitter for the Public Safety Department, $430,000 for repairs for the Weibel Avenue ice rink, and $150,000 for the Complete Streets program.
The council must approve the budget by November 30th.