Mayor Says He Will Ask Council
To Support Fire Pact With Town
ONEONTA – Mayor Gary Herzig said a few moments ago that, while the tentative agreement with Town of Oneonta Fire District #1 doesn’t give the city everything it wanted, he will encourage Common Council to adopt it when it meets Feb. 2.
“It didn’t bring the total value that we thought our services were worth,” said the mayor. “But there are some good things to it, and I support it. “
One, he said, the “framework for an agreement,” as the presiding judge called it, creates a framework that will eventually allow the city to receive “compensation for full value.”
Two, it’s a multi-year – three-year – contract, which brings stability to the city, allowing Council to plan fire-related expenditures.
The city had asked the fire district for a $1.2 million contribution to the fire budget in 2016, up from $946,000 in 2015, a 27 percent increase.
The mayor said that, at the suggestion of state Supreme Court Judge Michael V. Coccoma, who presided at today’s hearing, the agreement calls for an increase to $1,030,000 (9 percent) this year, $1,050,000 (2 percent) in 2017 and $1,100,000 (5 percent) in 2018.
As to the impact on the 2016 city budget, approved last December, the mayor said, he said some city reserves will probably have to be transferred. “However,” he said, “we are still budgeted a smaller expenditure from the reserve than we have in the past two years.”
“It’s not a done deal,” he cautioned. But, “I’m pleased to move on.”
