(Photo provided by Kevin L. Smith of The Cortland Voice).
The City of Cortland Common Council will hold its final public hearing in regard to its proposed 2024 budget at its meeting on Tuesday.
No one spoke during the public hearings held during the November and the Dec. 5 council meetings. After Tuesday’s hearing, the city council will vote to adopt the 2024 budget.
City officials are proposing a $34.4 million austerity-based budget for 2024. Mayor Scott Steve said in October that the goal for the 2024 budget is to “reduce as much as we can” and go to “bare minimums.” Steve also announced a hiring freeze in October that will go into 2024.
The city’s proposed budget includes a 4% tax rate increase, which requires approval to override New York state’s 2% tax cap. The potentially lifted tax rate comes with an increase of $64.20 annually for the average home assessed at $90,000, according to city officials.
The city council approved overriding the tax levy limit at its Dec. 5 meeting.
Tuesday’s council meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. The public is invited to attend, or watch the meeting via Zoom. The agenda for Tuesday’s meeting can be viewed by clicking here.
A breakdown of the proposed 2024 budget, along with potential policy and personnel changes, can be found here.
