OGDENSBURG, New York (WWNY) – Ogdensburg’s new city manager is presenting her budget proposal to lawmakers Thursday evening.
Andrea Smith’s spending plan includes raising taxes and cutting 10 jobs, with a majority of the job cuts proposed for the police department.
She proposes a 12 percent increase in property taxes. If you own a home assessed at $100,000, your tax bill would go up almost $200.
As for the staffing cuts, Smith proposes eliminating:
- 2 police dispatchers
- 4 police officers
- 2 vacant full-time positions at city hall
She also proposes not filling 2 jobs at the Department of Public Works where the current workers are retiring.
“The council and the community is very divided, but we have to come together to solve these problems that are before us today. So I am hopeful that we can try and bridge the gap and work towards what is best for the city,” she said.
Smith says 2 things are driving this budget: a projected $2.5 million loss in sales tax revenue, and a 19 percent increase in health insurance costs.
7 News will have reaction from city councillors Thursday night at 11.
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