The Cicero Town Board held a public hearing for the preliminary 2015 budget Oct. 8. Consultant Jim Rowley presented the budget in detail and members of the public offered their comments on the proposed budget.
“While no one’s excited to raise taxes, the town is working hard to provide services without breaking the bank and creating strain,” Rowley said.
He said the town is seeking to “strike a balance” among budget cuts, a reasonable tax increase and the use of the town’s fund balance.
Rowley said Cicero’s spending is up 3.8 percent, but revenue is down 3.11 percent, which is “mostly attributable to the reduction in mortgage tax that the town is currently experiencing.” He also credited New York state’s unfunded mandates, increasing workers’ compensation costs and other factors for the budgetary strain.
“The state has virtually frozen aid to municipalities,” Rowley said.
Under this version of the budget, taxpayers can expect a 16.53 cent per thousand increase on their tax bill. That brings the rate to about $3.74 per $1,000 of assessed value. A homeowner whose house is assessed at $100,000 would pay $373.58. The same homeowner presently pays $357.05 on the current rate of about $3.57 per thousand.
Throughout the public hearing and the ensuing regular town board meeting, Supervisor Jessica Zambrano stressed that this budget is not final by any means.
Several residents voiced their opinions of the preliminary budget. Don Snyder objected to raising taxes to avoid depleting the town’s fund balance.
“Let’s stop kicking the can down the road,” he said.
Two of the speakers showed their support of the Parks and Recreation Department. Mike Kasch, president of the North Syracuse Little League, and George Lonergan, president of the Cicero Little League, said the town’s parks are attractive to potential residents and boost the local economy.
Claire Cary spoke on behalf of the Cicero Senior Center and its opportunities for exercising, socializing and more.
“Many Cicero seniors would never leave their homes if it weren’t for the center,” Cary said. “Someone commented to me, ‘After paying taxes for so many years, it’s nice to reap the rewards at the center.’”
Others urged the board to make more cuts to the budget to avoid a larger tax burden.
“At some point, you’re going to have to jack taxes excessively, or make cuts we’ve been talking about for years,” Tom Beaulieu said.
Beaulieu questioned the possibility of the town passing a local law to exceed the state’s 2 percent cap on the tax increase.
“We’ve exceeded it every year. Why do we find the need to do that?” he said.
During the board’s regular meeting immediately following the budget hearing, a public hearing regarding the tax cap was held.
“No decisions have been made — there’s much to be done on the budget,” Zambrano said. “[This local law] is just to have the option in case we need it.”
The board opted to wait to vote on the issue until the budget has been revised.
Town to hire new engineering firm
The board voted to terminate the town’s engineering services contract with C&S Companies “on the basis of convenience, not cause,” according to the resolution. The move comes in the midst of an ethics investigation of the romantic relationship between Zambrano and Douglas Wickman, who currently serves as town engineer and a senior principal at C&S.
The board will interview prospective engineering firms to replace C&S at a special executive session meeting Tuesday, Oct. 21. The board expects to select the new firm at its next regular meeting, which will be held at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22, at Cicero Town Hall. The new firm will serve through 2015.
