Jamestown City Council member Bill Reynolds is proposing a local law to eliminate the requirement that City of Jamestown Department Heads live in the City of Jamestown.
According to the staff report, Reynolds wishes to amend the law to allow for a wider pool of candidates for the City’s appointed employees. Under the new law, appointees who are qualified via Civil Service Law may reside or move to areas in Chautauqua County or adjoining New York State Counties.
Council also will review a local law to override the tax cap ahead of deliberations on the 2026 budget. Municipalities in New York State may only raise property taxes from the prior year by the lessor of 2% or the rate of inflation. To override the tax cap legislation and access the ability to tax up to the New York State constitution limits, the City will need local legislation for such.
The staff report states that the “proposed City budget for 2026 will need in excess of a 2% tax increase to account for the budget deficit and possible union contracts for police and fire.”
Another resolution proposes the City enter into a contract with Pioneer Production Services LLC for the production of “Viewpoint with Dennis Quaid” in Jamestown. The resolution states the City will own any content/footage roll produced of the production of the show with the City splitting the $30,000 cost of the project with the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities, Collaborative Children’s Solutions, and other possible donors The production would be used to promote the City of Jamestown and “educating the wider world on the benefits of Jamestown via the publication of many great City attributes on public tv programming reaching 84 million homes.”
Also on the work agenda is a resolution to adjust the 2024 budget to account for an additional $1.59 million in state highway aid funding from the state.
BPU General Manager Dave Leathers will present updates on the municipal utility during the full work session.
The Housing Committee meets at 6:30 p.m. with other committees meeting at 7:00 p.m. The full work session will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the 4th Floor Police Training Room in City Hall. All meetings are open to the public with the full work session being livestreamed on jamestownny.gov.
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