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Council could vote on Utica budget as early as Thursday night

By By JOLEEN FERRIS

Story Created: Mar 18, 2010 at 5:10 PM EDT

Story Updated: Mar 18, 2010 at 5:39 PM EDT

UTICA, N.Y. (WKTV) - The Utica Common Council could vote on the Mayor David Roefaro's proposed budget as early as Thursday night.

"We've got to hope for a unanimous vote tonight on the amendments," said 4th District Councilperson Joan Scalise, a democrat. "In that case, then, this will be the end we can come out and vote for the budget and we'll be set."

The finance committee passed amendments which amount to $75,000 in cuts after Wednesday night's meeting. The full council will look at those amendments at Thursday's meeting.

The original proposed tax increase of roughly 18% was pared down to 7%, in part by cutting seven positions from the Utica Police Department.

Councilperson Scalise said there is nothing else to cut.

"We've made cuts," she said. "And then last night we sat here after the meeting and we started making more cuts only to realize this morning that they'd already been cut."

If the full council doesn't approve of the amendments which the finance committee passed Wednesday night, the amendments will have to be placed in committee and then the council will vote on the budget Friday night.

"It's been time-consuming, draining physically and mentally," Scalise said. "But we hear the people out there and we're really trying."

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