Julie Chetney looks on as her son, Nate, advocates for upgrades at the Kingsford Park playground.
OSWEGO, NY – At Monday night’s Common Council meeting, the 2018 budget was approved 5-2 with councilors Pat McLaughlin and Shawn Walker voting no.
Adding funding to the budget for upgrades for the Kingsford Park playground was the stumbling block.
The $45,715, 532 spending plan carries a tax increase of 3.48 percent. The tax rate per $1,000 assessed value is 15.67.
“It’s nothing against the kids,” Councilor Walker explained. “That money belonged somewhere else. We just robbed Peter to pay Paul. I don’t believe that’s the way we should do it.”
“We’re laying people off and you want to build a park? I can’t agree with that,” he told Oswego County Today following the meeting. “That’s just the way it is. We took a lot of equipment out of the DPW, basically hurt their fleet. I’d love to see the park built. But I just can’t see it on other people’s dime. They’re pushing this too quick. The carriage is before the horse right now.”
The council went through about a dozen amendments to the proposal before the final vote Monday night.
“Everything else in the mayor’s proposed budget, cuts to positions, all that stuff, still stays,” Council President Eric VanBuren said following the meeting. “Still with all the changes, we came in under what the original was. We came in at 3.48; the original was around 3.62. The council still lowered the tax rate a little bit from what it was.”
Councilors approve the 2018 city operating budget (+Tax Warrant). The 2018 tax levy is $12,466,459. And, the 2018 sewer user fees set forth in the Enterprise Fund were approved as follows: Flat Rate $200 per quarter (minimum) – Meter Rate $150 per quarter.
Prior to the meeting, no one addressed the council during the budget public hearing.
Several people spoke in favor of the playground upgrades during the regular public session.
Speakers included parents, teachers and several students.
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Perhaps the City should have budgeted some of that revitalization money to revamp and improve the playgrounds and parks in the city instead of a “free” business loan to private businesses in the City. Increase in taxes to pay for public needs and space but grant money and state money to Private sector business… makes complete sense
I suspect no one from the working private-sector showed up as we’ve learned it’s futile to do so; everything goes up & up & up whilst we try getting out & out & out….hopefully my “out” happens very soon & if it does I will NEVER spend one cent of my over-earned, over-taxed, and over-fee’d money in this town again!