City budget review set to begin

Common Council review of Mayor Steve Noble’s proposed 2019 budget is set to begin Wednesday, Nov. 7, at City Hall.

Public feedback will be taken at 6 p.m., followed at 6:30 p.m. by Finance and Audit Committee examination of the proposed spending for the Department of Public Works, the wastewater treatment plant, and Citibus transportation service.

In the past, budgets proposed by mayors have gone through similar scrutiny with only minor changes being made by the Common Council.

The mayor’s recommended budget can be found at www.kingston-ny.gov under Latest News.

The public may also comment during the public speaking sec--

tion of each regular Common Council meeting (scheduled for Nov. 6 and Dec. 4) at 7:30 p.m. or by submitting comments to the City Clerk at cwinnie@kingston-ny.gov or via postal mail to City Hall, 420 Broadway, Kingston, N.Y. 1240.

Other budget review sessions at City Hall by the council’s Finance and Audit Committee will be held:

• Tuesday, Nov. 13, at 6:30 p.m. to review the police budget;

• Wednesday, Nov. 14, at 6:30 p.m., to review the budgets of the Fire Department and Building Safety Department;

• Monday, Nov. 19, at 6:30 p.m., to review the Parks and Recreation Department budget;

• Tuesday, Nov. 27, at 6:30 p.m., to review the budget for City Hall staffing; and

• Wednesday, Nov. 28, at 6:30 p.m., a budget wrapup meeting of the Finance & Audit Committee is scheduled.

Noble’s proposed city budget for the coming year totals nearly $44 million, maintains the current property tax levy and reduces tax rates.

The plan calls for increasing spending by $1,456,909, or 3.4 percent, over this year’s adopted budget of $42,519,568. It would use $904,858 from the city’s fund balance to offset expenses.

The property tax levy in

Noble’s proposal would remain at $17,650,940 for the fourth year in a row.

After committee review, the budget still must be discussed and voted on by the full Common Council.

Under Noble’s proposal, the property tax rate for homestead, or residential, properties would decrease 20 cents, to $9.74 per $1,000 of assessed property value. The non-homestead, or commercial, rate would decrease $1.80 to $15.59 per $1,000.

Noble’s budget also includes a $5,000 raise for the mayor’s position. If approved, that would raise the salary from $75,000 to $80,000. Noble says he wants to do the same thing in each of the following four years, as well, pushing the salary from the current $75,000 to $100,000.