Auburn City Council adopted a 2026-27 budget Thursday night after months of warnings about rising costs, staffing reductions and pressure on basic city services.
The spending plan passed 3-2, with Mayor James Giannettino and councilors Terry Cuddy and Christina Calarco voting yes. Councilors Craig Diego and Rhoda Overstreet-Wilson voted no.
Budget passes after sharp debate
The adopted general fund budget totals $49.7 million and raises about $16.1 million through property taxes. The plan sets the city tax rate at about $8.41 per $1,000 of taxable assessed value.
Officials said the budget exceeds the state tax cap, reduces staffing and relies in part on additional state aid. City leaders also said Auburn continues to face higher costs for health insurance, utilities, pensions, fuel, equipment and contracted services.
Cuddy said the city made difficult but necessary choices by pairing spending cuts with a tax increase. He said the city should be in a stronger position next year because of those decisions.
Diego said he could not support the budget, arguing the process should change before next year. He said residents are already facing higher costs for taxes, water, sewer, utilities, food and other essentials.
Overstreet-Wilson also voted no, saying the detailed budget raised additional questions and should have been reviewed more deeply before final adoption.
Parking, fees also approved
Council also approved the city’s 2026-27 fee schedule after adding a new downtown parking option.
The amendment allows each Business Improvement District property owner to buy one annual parking pass for $1,200. The pass would allow parking in city-charged downtown spaces and was proposed after feedback from business owners who said they need flexibility for loading, unloading and work near their properties.
The broader fee schedule includes several changes, including ambulance billing updates, code enforcement fee changes and other administrative adjustments. Officials clarified that a $3,000 long-distance ambulance transport fee would apply to facilities, not patients or insurers.
The fee schedule passed 4-1, with Diego voting no.
Casey Park pool gets support
Council unanimously accepted donations tied to the 2026 operation of Casey Park pool.
The resolution accepted $15,000 through the Auburn YMCA-WEIU from the Wegmans Community Development Team, along with $16,000 in donated lifeguard staff time from the YMCA.
The pool has been a major issue during budget talks, with residents urging the city to preserve summer swimming access. Councilors said the donations help, but the broader conversation about recreation funding remains unresolved.
Road funding, bonds and infrastructure
Council also accepted $3.64 million in state transportation funding for local road work through programs including CHIPS, Extreme Winter Recovery, PAVE NY, Pave Our Potholes and State Touring Route aid.
Assistant Civil Engineer Scott McIntyre said the money will support road work, sidewalk projects, fleet vehicles, engineering staff time and other transportation needs. He said asphalt costs have risen sharply since March, which could force the city to revisit parts of this year’s road program.
Council also heard the first reading of a $2.8 million bond ordinance for capital projects. Most of the money, $2.75 million, would fund geothermal HVAC improvements at City Hall, the police station and ambulance headquarters. Another $50,000 would cover a staircase replacement at ambulance headquarters.
The ordinance is expected to return next week.
Public raises Flock, water, dogs and finances
Residents used the public comment period to raise several ongoing concerns.
Multiple speakers again criticized Auburn’s use of Flock license plate reader cameras, calling for stronger local rules, limits on data sharing and more transparency. One speaker pointed to proposed legislation in Troy as a possible model for Auburn.
Others raised concerns about unpaid school taxes, water quality, dog control issues on Chapman Avenue and the city’s financial outlook.
The meeting also included a Pride Month proclamation, announcements about summer recreation registration, the start of Auburn’s Smart Growth Comprehensive Plan process and upcoming summer movies and concerts in city parks.
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