Mayor Robert A. Corradino has proposed his 2025 city operating budget to the Oswego Common Council, his first budget as mayor but the ninth budget he has been involved with since he became a councilor in 2016. Mayor Corradino’s $ 56,675,117 spending plan calls for a modest 5% tax increase that does not use any general fund to balance the budget. This is the first such increase in eight years, and it is a direct result of contractual obligations, debt service, insurance, healthcare, retirement, and fuel cost increases. The tax rate in 2024 is $15.29/$1000 but will decrease to $ 10.51/$1000 in 2025 with the proposed budget.
The proposed 2025 budget allocates $ 6,008,915 for the Oswego Fire Department, $ 7,336,623 for the Oswego Police Department and $ 7,674,046 for the Oswego Department of Public Works. In summary, the city budget consists of 54% personnel costs, 21% contractual obligations, 13% for fringe benefits, 10% debt, and 2% for equipment.
2025 Budget Highlights
- No use of fund balance (city savings account)
- No increase in water or sewer fees for city residents
- Two new pickups with plows for DPW
- New industrial washer for Animal Control for $20,000
- Street lighting budget reduction of $ 285,000 due to LED conversion
“While we have worked diligently to maintain fiscal stability, the realities of rising costs have necessitated a modest property tax increase of 5%. This is the first such increase in eight years, and it is a direct result of contractual obligations, debt service, insurance, healthcare, retirement, and fuel cost increases. Our commitment to fiscal responsibility remains unwavering. This budget reflects careful scrutiny of every line item to ensure that taxpayer dollars are allocated efficiently and effectively. I am confident that we have balanced the need for essential services with the desire to minimize the financial burden on our residents,” said Mayor Corradino.
The Oswego Common received the proposed executive 2025 budget during the Monday, August 12th Common Council meeting. They will review the budget and discuss whether to accept the proposed budget or to amend it by resolution. Any amendments made by the Common Council by resolution that changes the appropriations will affect the proposed tax rate. The Council is expected to vote on the budget during the Common Council meeting scheduled for Monday, August 26th following a mandatory public hearing. The mayor’s budget is available for review by the public on the city’s website at www.oswegony.org.
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Thanks Barlow. All your ‘free’ projects and give anyways are coming due. Use the fund balance to balance the budget. I doubt we need two new plow trucks or a 20,000 power washer for do nothing animal control. Buy the same attachment home owners buy from Amazon for a few bucks to turn a hose into a power washer. How about charging the few people who use the electric charging stations on West 2nd while they are working. Not my job as a city tax payer to pay to charge your electric car. If it was so cheap these people would do that at home on their own dime. Charge the three people who use the dog park or the workout space near the splash pad for r raise those fees. Stop paying 6 dpw people to put the useless speed bumps down and pick them up every year. How about we stop hiring so many high school kids to do nothing on the night shift just so their parents can get them into the city as an employee. What a joke. After the assessment debacle that this common council and mayor have the audacity to ask for any more money from this community especially after the scam school budget the district pushed out on use in May. You all need to be voted out. Let’s start and cut the city fat of jobs that sit and do nothing. I’m sure we can take a deep look and find quite a few of those.
Billy isn’t mayor any more .
They call a 5% increase modest. Do that modest increase over here for 20 years and suddenly you’re paying twice as much. The unfortunate State of Affairs is City governments throughout the country, not just oswego, are using people’s property and the equity they have in that property and the rising costs of that property as cash cow self-service Banks for their special interests. You better believe this is going to be a go-to Playbook strategy for this mayor during his tenure. Mark my words on that. 4 years from now you will be paying 20% more for your property taxes then you are today.
How long do trucks last at DPW. I’VE noticed new ones over the past several years and now they need more! If driven only during work hours within city limits they shouldn’t put on massive amounts of miles over a few years. Seems excessive. And extravagant.