Spending Goes Up 6 Percent

In City’s Preliminary Budget

ONEONTA – A preliminary 2016 City of Oneonta budget, unveiled this evening, calls for a 6 percent spending increase and an increase of $34,000 in property tax revenues.

Acting City Manager Meg Hungerford outlined the spending package at a special Common Council meeting.

Higher spending is driven by “wage increases based on department requests, contractual obligations, equipment purchases and health insurance increases,” said Hungerford. “Taxes would be increased within the tax cap requirements which allows the levy to increase .73 percent”

The city’s budget process calls for the city manager to review department requests from mid-October to mid-November.

The Common Council gets the budget proposal on Nov. 17 and usually votes on a final budget during the first meeting in December.

– DON MATHISEN for AllOTSEGO.com