City Council

OFFICE OF CITY CLERK SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK AGENDA FOR THE COUNCIL CAUCUS AND THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING Saturday, November 1, 2025 Room 110 9:00 a.m. FINAL CONSIDERATION Council Member AN ORDINANCE Pursuant to Section 36 of the Second Class Cities Law and Article VI of the Charter of the City ofSchenectady, Approving and Adopting the Proposed Operating Budget for 2026, and Authorizing the Appropriations therein Enumerated Votes Required 4 1 Saturday, November 1, 2025 Page 1 of 1  CITY COUNCIL SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK ORDINANCE NO. 2025-10 RA Councilmember Mr. Mootooveren offered the following: An ORDINANCE Pursuant to Section 36 of the Second Class Cities Law and Article VI of the Charter of the City of Schenectady, Approving and Adopting the Proposed Operating Budget for 2026, and Authorizing the Appropriations therein Enumerated. FT WHEREAS, a public hearing was held on October 14, 2025. regarding the tentative Operating Budget for the fiscal year 2026; and WHEREAS, the tentative Operating Budget includes the General Fund, Water Fund, Sewer Fund and Golf Fund; and WHEREAS, the tentative Operating Budget proposed by the Mayor includes separate Capital Budgets for the General Fund, Golf Fund, Sewer Fund and Water Fund. The Capital Budget will be appropriated in 2026 to not exceed a total borrowing of $7,752,275; and WHEREAS, the City Council has reviewed the tentative Operating Budget that has been submitted by the Mayor, and takes the following action: NOW, THEREFORE BE IT D ENACTED by the Council of the City of Schenectady, in a special meeting convened, as follows: Section 1: The Operating Budget, which is attached hereto and made a part hereof, is adopted. The referenced attachments which collectively comprise said Operating Budget consists of the following: a. The “City of Schenectady Proposed 2026 Budget” as submitted by Mayor Gary R. McCarthy; b. A document entitled, “City of Schenectady 2026 Capital Budget Projects;” and 2  c. Documents listing “Council Revisions to the 2026 Proposed Budget;” Section 2: The sum of $119,966,727 is appropriated in the General Fund for the expenses of the City government for the fiscal year commencing January 1, 2026, and ending December 31, 2026, in accordance with the estimates and apportionments shown in the Operating Budget. The sum of $34,110,939 is approved as the amount necessary to be raised by the imposition of a real property tax for fiscal year 2026. Section 3: The Commissioner of Finance & Administration is directed to cause to be apportioned and extended opposite the several valuations of real property on the Assessment Roll in the amount of $2,504,169,668 or such other amount as may be calculated resulting from tax RA certiorari actions or other legal actions, and is directed to cause the amount to be levied, assessed and collected by a tax on the taxable property within the boundaries of the City of Schenectady, in the manner provided by law, for the purpose of paying the expenses of conducting the business of the City of Schenectady, paying the principal and interest falling due on indebtedness of the City, and meeting such other expenses as may be authorized or required by law. The City Clerk is directed to send a certified copy of this Ordinance to the Commissioner of Finance & Administration, the Chief Fiscal Officer of the City of Schenectady. Section 4: Any office or position in the government of the City of Schenectady that does FT not appear or for which no compensation is provided in the Operating Budget is abolished as of January 1, 2026. Section 5: The number of officers and members of the Police and Fire Departments of the City of Schenectady and the classes and grades into which they are divided for the fiscal year 2026 are as set forth in the Operating Budget. Section 6: The number of personnel of all other departments, bureaus, boards and commissions of the City of Schenectady and their salaries or compensations are fixed and determined in the Operating Budget and in accordance with the Compensation Plan of the City of Schenectady. Section 7: The sum of $10,625,956 is appropriated in the Water Fund for the expenses associated with supplying water to the City of Schenectady for the fiscal year commencing January 1, 2025, in accordance with the estimate and apportionments enumerated in the attached Operating D Budget. The water rates reflected in the Operating Budget are approved as the rates necessary to be charged to the user of the water supplied by the City. Section 8: The sum of $17,571,315 is appropriated in the Sewer Fund for the expenses associated with supplying sanitary and storm sewer systems and operations to the City of Schenectady for the fiscal year commencing January 1, 2026, in accordance with the estimate and apportionments enumerated in the attached Operating Budget. The sewer rates reflected in the Operating Budget are approved as the rates necessary to be charged to the user of the water supplied by the City. Section 9: The sum of $1,716,503 is appropriated in the Golf Fund for the expenses 3 associated with the operation of the municipal golf course in the City of Schenectady for the fiscal year commencing January 1, 2026, in accordance with the estimate and apportionments enumerated in the attached Operating Budget. Section 10: The solid waste collection rates provided in the Operating Budget are approved and shall be applied for the period commencing January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2026. Schenectady City Code Section 161-25(1), Exemptions, is amended to change the reduced fee rate from $228.00 to $282.66. Section 11: Designate as “ministerial changes” all subsequent amendments to the operating RA budget that amount to less than 10% of the operating project’s cost, and to specify that no public hearing shall be required for such ministerial changes and that such changes be authorized by Resolution only. Section 12: This Ordinance shall take effect January 1, 2026. Approved as to form this 1st day of November 2025. FT ________________________ Maxine L. Barasch, Esq. Corporation Counsel D 4  CAPITAL 2026 COUNCIL BUDGET CHANGES 2026 PROPOSED Council Council BUDGET Changes Total General Parks/Property F350 regular cab pickup w/plows(2) 140,000 (70,000) 70,000 Waste Collection Rear Loader Packers (2) 600,000 (300,000) 300,000 Police Suv (3)78 Unmarked (4)53 Parking (1)37 Evidence (1)63 546,000 (131,000) 415,000 Streets Reg cab pickups w/plows(2) 140,000 (70,000) 70,000 Engineering Engineering Engineering FT Electric vehicle charging stations Signage Paving Green Houses/Central Park TOTAL GENERAL FUND CAPITAL GENERAL, WATER, SEWER, & GOLF FUND CAPITAL 100,000 300,000 1,250,000 360,000 6,238,275 9,333,275 (100,000) (300,000) (250,000) (360,000) (1,581,000) (1,581,000) - - 1,000,000 - 4,657,275 7,752,275 RA D 5  General REVENUE Code Revenue Description 2026 PROPOSED BUDGET Council Changes Council Total A1001 Real Property Taxes 39,343,274 (5,232,335) 34,110,939 A1002 Allowance for Uncollected Taxes (2,850,000) 800,000 (2,050,000) A1116 Cannabis Excise Tax 700,000 150,000 850,000 NEW CDBG - Admin - 262,019 262,019 NEW CDBG - Demolition - 234,514 234,514 A2610B Fines - Parking 910,000 200,000 1,110,000 A2610M Delinquent Parking Fines 170,000 130,000 300,000 A2610N Bus Patrol Safety Fines 400,000 200,000 600,000 A2660A Sale of houses-HOMES Program 3,000,000 500,000 3,500,000 A3005 Mortgage Tax (Pd June/Dec) 950,000 450,000 1,400,000 A3089H Casino License Fee 4,100,000 60,000 4,160,000 A1110 Sales & Use Tax 19,500,000 975,000 20,475,000 RA A2130A Refuse & Trash Charges 9,590,642 (1,164,563) 8,426,079 A5999 Appropriate Fund Balance 2,000,000 1,947,767 3,947,767 TOTAL Proposed Budget (Revenue) 120,454,325 (487,598) 119,966,727 EXPENSES Code Object Description Position 2026 PROPOSED BUDGET Council Changes Council Total A1430 402C Anti-Racism Training - 15,000 15,000 A1622 460 Repairs 170,000 (20,000) 150,000 A1989 485 Contingency 400,000 (200,000) 200,000 A1989 499 Senior Center Program - 40,000 40,000 A8664 100 CODE OFFICER (-2) 652,040 (130,408) 521,632 FT A8686 112 Overtime 500 500 1,000 A5132 100 NEW HIRES FLEET MANAGER (-1) 80,889 (80,889) - A8161 121 NEW HIRES LABORER (LOADER) (-2) 307,751 87,929 395,680 A8161 121 SEASONAL LABOR LOADER 214,396 (107,198) 107,198 A8161 125 Waste Working Hours 221,312 (70,312) 151,000 A3120 100 MANAGEMENT RAISES COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC SAFETY 24,825 - 24,825 A3410 100 MANAGEMENT RAISES COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC SAFETY 24,946 (121) 24,825 A8686 100 MANAGEMENT RAISES DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT 95,049 1,901 96,950 A1210 136 Stipend 3,000 (3,000) - A1310 136 Stipend 6,000 (6,000) - A1410 136 Stipend 3,000 (3,000) - A1620 136 Stipend 3,000 (3,000) - A1622 136 Stipend 3,000 (3,000) - A1680 136 Stipend 3,000 - 3,000 A5010 136 Stipend 3,000 - 3,000 A8664 136 Stipend 6,000 (6,000) - TOTAL Proposed Budget (Expenses) 120,454,325 (487,598) 119,966,727 D 6  GOLF FUND REVENUE Code Revenue Description 2026 PROPOSED BUDGET Council Changes Council Total CR511N Appropriate Debt Reserve 6,503 (5,000) 1,503 TOTAL Proposed Budget (Revenue) 1,721,503 (5,000) 1,716,503 EXPENSES Code Object Description Position 2026 PROPOSED BUDGET Council Changes Council Total CR7180 136 Stipend 5,000 (5,000) - TOTAL Proposed Budget (Expenses) 1,721,503 (5,000) 1,716,503 T RA F D 7  SEWER REVENUE Code Revenue Description 2026 PROPOSED BUDGET Council Changes Council Total TOTAL Proposed Budget (Revenue) 17,571,315 - 17,571,315 EXPENSES Code Object Description Position 2026 PROPOSED BUDGET Council Changes Council Total TOTAL Proposed Budget (Expenses) 17,571,315 - 17,571,315 RA FT D 8  Water REVENUE Code Revenue Description 2026 PROPOSED BUDGET Council Changes Council Total FX5999 Appropriate Fund Balance 485,751 (5,000) 480,751 TOTAL Proposed Budget (Revenue) 10,630,956 (5,000) 10,625,956 EXPENSES Code Object Description Position 2026 PROPOSED BUDGET Council Changes Council Total FX8310 136 Stipend 5,000 (5,000) - TOTAL Proposed Budget (Expenses) 10,630,956 (5,000) 10,625,956 RA FT D 9