Rochester City Council Approves $700 Million Budget, No For RCSD

Rochester City Council has adopted a city budget exceeding $700 million for the next fiscal year. The spending plan passed by a 6-to-3 vote. The budget includes a $7.5 million increase in the property tax levy—the first such increase in six years. City officials say the increase will help offset double-digit percentage growth in pension, healthcare, and utility costs. The budget also allocates a record amount of funding to the Rochester Police Department. Council members who opposed the plan argue that the budget fails to address burdens such as rising housing costs and the need for improved mental health care for city residents.

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Meanwhile, council members rejected the Rochester City School District’s latest budget proposal, partly because the Rochester Board of Education needs to approve a new, amended version. After the late finalization of the New York State budget, the district learned it would lose more than $4 million in expected state funding. As a result, the board made additional cuts—this time affecting after-school and summer programming. The revised proposal will be reconsidered by the City Council at a later date.

Source: 13 WHAM-TV