The Geneva City Council has adopted a $22.4 million budget for 2026 that keeps basic services intact but leaves little room for growth.
The spending plan, approved Tuesday night, raises property taxes by 2%, or about $36 a year for a typical homeowner. Water and sewer rates will stay flat thanks to healthy fund balances. But while the budget avoids deep cuts, officials say it doesn’t meet all departmental needs.
Holding the line on services
City Manager Amie Hendrix called it a maintenance budget. “This is not a budget focused on growth and development,” she told community partners in an email Wednesday. “It is a budget focused on maintaining the current infrastructure, services, and programming of the city.”
Council made a few last-minute changes, including funding for new police equipment and adding 1.5 full-time equivalent police officer positions. The total general fund increase from 2025 is $1.5 million, or 7.4%.
Departments like Public Works, Police, and Fire will maintain current staffing and continue core services. Recreation facilities will see small updates, and the city will launch a long-term look at possibly turning recreation into a self-sustaining enterprise fund.
Big needs, limited dollars
Despite efforts to stretch resources, the city left over $1.5 million in staff requests unfunded. These included upgrades in staffing, technology, and facility improvements. Hendrix said the requests were essential, not wish-list items.
The constraints highlight the challenge Geneva faces as a small city with rising costs and slow revenue growth. “Our current revenues are not enough to meet all of Geneva’s needs while sustaining the quality of life our residents deserve,” Hendrix wrote in the budget message.
Capital projects still moving
The five-year Capital Improvement Program includes major investments like Castle Street reconstruction, sewer and water upgrades, and new fire equipment. Projects are designed to reduce long-term costs and align with council goals on safety, sustainability, and neighborhood vitality.
The water and sewer funds remain healthy, with reserves above the recommended 35% threshold. The city’s median home value is $143,550, and the average city property tax bill will increase to about $1,780 in 2026.
What’s next
Council will post the full adopted budget book by November 7. Hendrix said city staff will now shift from planning to implementation while starting early discussions about 2027.
“This is not a failure,” she wrote. “It is a call to action.”
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].