JOHNSTOWN —The Common Council will conduct two public hearings related to the city’s tentative $13.2 million 2018 budget at its business meeting at 6 p.m. Monday at City Hall.
The council will hold a regular hearing on the budget, which currently calls for a 2 percent property tax rate increase. The council will also hold a hearing on a proposed local law to exceed the state-imposed tax levy cap contained in the spending plan. The council will consider passing the law later in the meeting.
The budget itself is not expected to be finalized until next month.
“On Dec. 4, we’ll have a public meeting and we’ll adopt the budget,” Councilman-at-Large Craig Talarico said Friday.
That spending plan — with a proposed $12.63 per $1,000 of assessed valuation tax rate for 2018 — is above the state’s imposed tax cap for the city. The cap is just below the current tax rate.
City Treasurer Michael Gifford has told the council if it desires no tax increase, it must reduce the levy by another $108,000.
The tentative 2018 budget totals $13.2 million in appropriations. The property tax rate would increase from $12.39 per $1,000 to $12.63. The city’s tax levy would increase from $5.49 million to $5.67 million for 2018. Fund balance added to help balance the spending plan would be $164,443. Other revenue used to offset the budget would increase from $6.97 million in 2017 to $7.37 million for 2018.
In regular business Monday, the council is slated to apply for funding under the Restore NY Communities Initiative for Townsend Leather’s rehabilitation of the former Diana Knitting Mill building at 229 North Perry St. and Grove Street. Townsend wants to expand there.
The council will consider committing Gloversville-Johnstown Wastewater Treatment Facility services to a proposed Fulton County sewer district. The county owns and operates a sewer line from the city of Gloversville along Route 29A to County Highway 122 to the Fulton Center for Rehabilitation and Healthcare in the town of Johnstown. The county wants to create a district so residents and businesses can connect into the sewer line.
Council members will also consider rejecting all three bids for closure of underground storage tanks at the former Hi-Way Oil gas station at 237 N. Perry St.
Two speakers are slated to give presentations to the council. They are: Mark Kilmer, president/CEO of the Fulton Montgomery Regional Chamber of Commerce; and local florist James Dempsey.
Michael Anich covers Johnstown and Fulton County news. He can be reached at [email protected]
