The City of Troy’s 2026 budget has passed.
The $122 million budget, up roughly $5 million from 2025, reduces the garbage fee, invests in public safety, and supports modernization efforts within City Hall.
The controversial garbage feel was reduced $25 to $229. The fee was introduced in 2017 as a $160 temporary measure. Mayor Carmella Mantello says she’s searching for a viable way to replace the revenue if the fee went away. She says even with the cost in place, the city has seen a recent uptick in trash-collection customers. She says she hopes that bulk-drop off for only city trash residents will encourage people to register.
Mantello says residents will see a less than 2.3% tax increase. The first-term Republican says some departments will also see staffing increases while other departments are re-thinking how they operate.
“We're building a bench in our departments, also, there's a deputy comptroller that's incorporated,” Mantello said. “We're just thinking differently in terms of, how can we provide the best service to the people of Troy? How can we keep our city safer, cleaner, more affordable and stronger? And that's every day, even right now,”
Plans for the lease of a new City Hall at the former Proctor’s Theater was also included in the budget. The city also moved money from its contingency fund to give the downtown Business Improvement District a nearly 3% increase in its tax assessment. The BID was facing closure if it didn’t receive that increased tax assessment. It hadn’t received an increase since it was formed in 2008.
Mantello says the budget allows for street paving, alleyway improvements, a traffic improvement project known as the Congress and Ferry Street Corridor project, and park renovations across the city.
This is the first budget the mayor has completed with an on-staff comptroller following staff turnover early in her tenure.
