Public Hearing on Peekskill 2012 Budget Nov. 21

Update: Sunday, Nov. 20, 11 a.m.: The council's budget proposal is available on the city website: http://www.cityofpeekskill.com/cityclerk/event/common-council-2012-budget-public-hearing

____

Posted Nov. 18: The City of Peekskill has set a public hearing on the council's proposed 2012 budget for Nov. 21 at 7:30 p.m.

The council’s final proposed budget has not yet been posted on the city website, but the city manager said that it will be posted before the hearing on Monday, according to his secretary.

Although the council’s budget will most likely differ from the city manager’s proposed budget, you can read his proposal, which was presented to the council on Oct. 3, _.

Under that proposed budget, the average Peekskill homeowner with a property valued assessed at between $8,000 and $12,000 and would pay $70 to $90 more in city taxes under the $36 million drafted budget. The proposed city manager’s budget would raise the tax levy 3.4 percent.

During Wednesday, Nov. 16's meeting the mayor told city manager Rick Finn she wanted to put two police officer and a motor equipment operator position (in the Department of Public Works) into the 2012 budget. The council also discussed adding a human resources director salary to the budget and budgeting for the police department’s proposed city-wide surveillance camera plan, predicted to cost about $100,000.

The city manager discussed the option of offering a city retirement incentive, to be paid out of the 2011 budget to help the city afford to backfill the vacant police and DPW positions and create the new HR position.

The council asked for a list of eligible employees and for Finn to ensure that they wouldn’t be leaving more empty positions that would eventually need to be filled again.

When the council’s budget proposal on which Nov. 21’s public hearing will be held is released we will let you know.