Canandaigua weighs staffing requests, urgent repairs as budget hearing approaches
Canandaigua City Council faces decisions over additional firefighters, police investigative staffing and deteriorating city facilities as it prepares for a public hearing on a proposed 2027 budget that already calls for higher taxes and utility bills.
At the second budget workshop Nov. 9, department heads outlined requests left out of City Manager John Goodwin’s recommended spending plan and explained the consequences of continuing with existing resources.
The proposed budget remains the starting point for council’s deliberations. Additional staffing requests presented Monday would increase spending unless council identifies cuts or other revenue.
As FingerLakes1 reported after the first workshop, the proposal includes a $23.34 million general fund budget and a 9.34% increase in the general fund property tax levy. A household with a home assessed at $275,800 and minimum water and sewer bills would pay approximately $254 more annually.
Council’s next opportunity to hear from residents comes Nov. 16. Goodwin said members will then begin working through potential additions and reductions, with staff calculating their effect on the budget.
Fire chief seeks four additional firefighters
Fire Chief Frank Magnera clarified that he requested four additional firefighters for 2027. Those positions are not included in the recommended budget.
Goodwin estimated their annual cost at approximately $548,000.
A separate option outlined in the budget message would add three firefighters for approximately $411,000 annually, providing a minimum of five personnel on duty around the clock. Goodwin said that option would add approximately five percentage points to the proposed levy increase.
The department currently has 20 firefighters, including four captains. That staffing provides at least four personnel on duty at all times, with five available approximately 40% of the time, Goodwin said.
Magnera argued that small crews must handle several critical assignments simultaneously at fires, including operating the pump, establishing a water supply, advancing hose and searching buildings.
He said additional personnel would improve safety and allow the department to divide responsibilities more effectively.
Council members questioned whether volunteers, stronger mutual aid arrangements or grants could help address the need. Magnera said the department continues training with neighboring agencies but cannot assume every mutual aid response will immediately provide firefighters qualified for interior operations.
He said he is not actively recruiting volunteers and favors continuing toward the staffing goals identified in the city’s public safety assessment.
Magnera also proposed a task force to develop a longer-term staffing and funding strategy, potentially involving neighboring municipalities. He warned that applying for federal hiring assistance, receiving an award and training new firefighters could take years.
Public works warns of growing demands
Public Works Director Sarah Brown said her department’s 47 full-time employees are maintaining an expanding inventory of infrastructure while managing aging facilities and rising operating costs.
The proposed increases in public works spending largely maintain existing services, she said, rather than provide substantial additional capacity.
Brown requested an asset manager to oversee preventive maintenance, track facilities and equipment, and help plan replacements. That position was excluded from the recommended budget.
She proposed a $73,000 salary, with salary and benefits totaling approximately $116,800.
Currently, Brown and other supervisors absorb those responsibilities alongside their regular work. She said the lack of dedicated attention to asset management contributes to deferred maintenance.
Brown also explained that reductions in seasonal positions reflected difficulty filling those jobs, rather than a reduced need for services.
New development adds responsibilities incrementally, she said. One development could add approximately 80 homes to garbage and recycling routes, raising questions about whether the existing four-day collection schedule can accommodate the additional work.
Brown said the city ultimately must either provide more resources or reconsider expectations for service levels, response times and preventive maintenance.
Police seek investigative help as building problems worsen
Police Chief Mathew Nielsen renewed a request for an additional officer that would allow an experienced patrol officer to become a detective without reducing patrol staffing.
Goodwin estimated the total annual cost at approximately $153,000. The request is not included in the recommended budget.
Nielsen said supervisors, support staff and patrol officers have been handling investigative assignments to keep detectives’ workloads manageable. That takes time away from supervision and other duties.
He also said increasingly demanding investigations have reduced the time available for proactive narcotics work and other neighborhood concerns.
The department previously sought federal hiring assistance without receiving an award. Nielsen said the city did not apply during the subsequent grant cycle because of concerns about its conditions.
The police building presents another set of decisions.
Brown estimated approximately $350,000 to replace deteriorated electrical service affected by water intrusion. Goodwin said that project is currently scheduled for 2028, rather than included in the 2027 capital budget.
An aging, undersized generator would cost approximately $170,000 to replace, Brown said. Nielsen explained that employees must shut off some electrical loads during outages to keep essential systems operating.
The building houses the city’s central computer server, adding urgency to maintaining reliable backup power.
A roof replacement estimated at approximately $180,000 is included in the proposed capital budget. Nielsen described leaks in the locker room and roll call room, including near equipment used to charge portable radio batteries.
Council moves toward additions and cuts
Council members asked for earlier access to the costs of department requests excluded from the recommended budget, saying the information would help them weigh services against affordability.
Goodwin said the departmental presentations were intended to make those choices clear. Council can change the proposal, he said, but must identify how to pay for its decisions.
“We can do whatever you want,” Goodwin said. “We got to be able to pay for it.”
Parks and recreation funding also remains open for discussion. Goodwin said he had circulated a memo for members to review before the next session.
The budget calendar lists the public hearing for Nov. 16, followed by workshops Nov. 23 and Nov. 30. Additional sessions are reserved for Dec. 7 and Dec. 14 if needed.
Budget adoption is scheduled for Dec. 21.
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