Albany officials say they've developed new controls to get the city's police overtime budget under control for the 2027 budget cycle.
Albany Mayor Dorcey Applyrs is proposing to spend significantly less on police overtime, with just $8 million budgeted for non-reimbursable police overtime in 2027. The New York State Comptroller's Office projects the city will spend $13.5 million dollars on police overtime this year.
Police overtime is one of the biggest single drivers of the City of Albany's $26 million budget gap this year. Police overtime was $3.6 million over-budget in 2025, and is projected to be $3.9 million over-budget this year, according to a report from the New York State Comptroller's Office.
Commissioner of Administrative Services Miriam Dixon says the city worked with Albany Police Chief Brendan Cox to come up with a more realistic overtime budget for 2027. Amid a shortage of officers, they're also brainstorming ways to recruit officers, which can somewhat counterintuitively reduce costs.
"We are looking forward to welcoming two classes of new police officers in 2027, which will help with our overtime," Dixon told reporters Thursday. "We are also going to be working with Chief Cox on a monthly basis to monitor our overtime and make sure that the things that he is putting in place to manage the overtime, that that is being held to on a monthly basis."
Applyrs has repeatedly called public safety her "top priority."
To close a projected $35 million budget gap for next year, Applyrs' $257 million proposal also includes a 15% property tax increase, a 0.5% sales tax increase, new fees, and $9.1 million of cuts. The budget is also being supported by $20 million in additional state aid for 2027, and another $20 million for 2028.
Most of those cuts will come from personnel cost reductions. Ten employees will be laid off, and the city will save $2.3 million by cutting vacant positions.
