Photo courtesy of jamestownny.net
JAMESTOWN – Putting together his 2013 executive budget proposal has been an especially troubling and trying process. That’s according to Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi, who released his 2013 budget proposal yesterday afternoon in city hall with members of his staff and media present, along with City Council President Greg Rabb (D-At Large) and councilman Paul Whitford (D-Ward VI).
The $33,452,000 proposed budget is up over $390,000 compared to the current 2012 spending plan. It calls for a tax levy increase of $896,000 – which equates to a tax rate increase of 6.44 percent.
In his presentation, Teresi said a combination of factors, including a difficult economic environment combined with continued increases in state mandates and new federal regulations are what have made the budgeting process difficult.
Among the mandates that Teresi cited was the continuing increase into the state retirement fund, which has grown by more than 3,000 percent since he took office in 1999. Other increases in the budget include a 10 percent increase in health benefits for employees, along with a 19.7 percent increase into the works compensation program. Teresi said in order to keep spending from going up any further in 2013, he’s calling for a salary freeze for all city employees, along with no increases in capital improvements.
In addition, despite the amount of time he and his staff have put into planning the 2013 budget, the mayor says he believe the city council can and will be able to improve upon the spending plan and reduce the tax levy increase to below the 2 percent cap imposed by the state.
The city council will begin its budget deliberations next Monday night, Oct. 15 as it reviews the DPW and Parks Department budgets. It has until Dec.1 to finalize and adopt a spending plan. Copies of the budget book are available for public review in the mayor’s office, city clerk’s office and at the reference desk of the Prendergast Library. The executive summary of the budget is available online at jamestownny.net.
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