UTICA — By a majority vote, the Utica Common Council passed the city’s budget for the 2023-2024 fiscal year.

During the last council meeting on March 15, councilors had a few objections and proposed amendments to the budget and chose not to bring it to a vote, choosing instead to call a special meeting on Monday, March 20, which was also the last day the council would be able to vote on the budget while avoiding a default.

During the meeting, the city councilors moved quickly through voting on amendments that were previously in committee, but had several questions regarding the specific ordinances regarding funding for the city's contract with Anita's Stevens Swans Humane Society.

The councilors amended the city's budget with the following proposed ordinances:

• Proposed ordinance 5, which allocates an additional $150,000 for contractual stormwater work to reduce the risk of flooding, bringing the total to $250,000. The proposed ordinance passed by a 7-2 vote, with First District Councilor Katie Aiello, Third District Councilor Celeste Friend, Fourth District Councilor Frank Meola, Fifth District Councilor Venice Ervin, Sixth District Councilor Joseph Betrus, Councilor at Large Mark Williamson and Councilor at Large Frank DiBrango voting in favor and Second District Councilor Robert Burmaster and Councilor at Large Samantha Colosimo-Testa voting against it.
• Proposed ordinance 37, which decreases the allocation of the city's contract with Anita's Stevens Swans Humane Society by $70,000. The proposed ordinance passed by a 7-2 vote, with Friend and Meola voting against it.
• Proposed ordinance 39, which decreases the mayoral department’s salary allocation by $60,000 to reflect the loss of a chief of staff position. The proposed ordinance passed by a 5-4 vote, with Aiello, Burmaster, Betrus, Williamson and Colosimo-Testa voting in favor and Friend, Meola, Ervin and DiBrango voting against it.
• Proposed ordinance 38, which allocates an additional $130,000 to the city's contract with Anita's Stevens Swans Humane Society. The proposed ordinance passed by a 6-3 vote, with Friend, Meola and Ervin voting against it.

Upon voting on the amendments, the councilors made one final vote on whether to pass the city's proposed $79.8 million budget with the amendments in place. The budget passed by a 8-1 vote, with Colosimo-Testa being the lone councilor to vote against the budget.

After the budget vote, Colossimo-Testa gave her reasoning for why she voted against the budget.

"Last year, I voted for the budget with the understanding that all contracts would be settled," Colossimo-Testa explained, citing the fact that the Utica Fire Department is still without a contract. "With the thought that this budget has health care in the air and possibly affecting a number of city employees, it is bothersome that another administration and/or a new council will be left to settle and budget for the issues caused by the current administration. It has been a topic of conversation throughout this city budget that the cost of a contract not being settled would cost the city close to a $1.8 million deficit surrounding this budget because of health care."

"While this budget is a 0% tax increase, it does not consider the possibility of what the outcome is for the issues this budget has moving forward. ... You have seen a proposal given to this administration to look at ways to settle the last city contract open, you have saw unions supporting unions, and this council having the opportunity for the mayor to take responsibility for not settling contracts to the point where it will affect the budget negatively, while possibly affecting other unions at and the budget. Therefore, I am voting no on this budget," the councilor concluded.

Last month, Utica Mayor Robert Palmieri proposed a $79.8 million budget for the 2023-2024 fiscal year to the city’s Board of Estimate and Apportionment. Now that the budget has passed the council, 38%, or nearly $30 million, will go toward the city’s police department, 28%, or nearly $22 million, will go toward the city’s fire department, 13%, or roughly $10 million, will go toward public works, parks and street lighting; and 21%, or nearly $17 million, will go toward all other municipal expenses.

The city’s budget does not call for an increase in property taxes, marking the fifth consecutive year that taxes are not increased in the city.