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On Tuesday, December 3, the City of Oneonta’s Common Council initially declined to pass the tentative 2025 budget that they had approved on November 19. When put to a second vote, six of the seven council members consented to pass the 2025 budget of $20 million, with the caveat that there would be future budget cuts and solutions to cover the deficit while drawing down less of the reserves.…
Lee shared, “During 2019, $843,517.00 of the fund balance was used due to investing over $1 million into equipment needs. (In) 2020, the pandemic hit. Due to the leadership of the excellent department heads, over $2 million of expenses were delayed due to the unforeseen consequences of the pandemic, which meant that those delayed expenditures needed to be realized in the future.…
The November 19 Oneonta Common Council meeting attracted about 25 concerned citizens, the equivalent of a full house. There were 20 motions on the agenda. The council debated various issues for more than four hours. Just before 10 p.m., the council approved the proposed 2025 budget and voted to exceed the tax cap. By this time, only three members of the audience remained. Two were city employees, Brian Knapp, the fire chief, and Chris Yacobucci, director of Public Works.…
We, the concerned citizens of greater Oneonta, are frustrated by the apparent lack of transparency in the administration of our City Hall government. Dear Mayor Drnek and city staff, your behaviors of ignoring us are clear and your unwillingness to listen and act accordingly is causing this divide in our city.…
Oneonta Could Lose $2.5 M From NY Cuts City Hall Can Absorb It, But Cuts Needed By LIBBY CUDMORE • Special To AllOTSEGO.com ONEONTA – With an estimated 20 percent cut to state aid, Oneonta could see a total loss in revenue of $2.5 million in 2020, City Hall’s Finance Director Virginia Lee told Common Council this evening. “With the number of events that have cancelled, I wouldn’t be surprised if we lose $2.5 million,” she said. Last week, Lee…
Common Council To Hear Treasurer’s Report City Hall Could Face $1.6M Loss In Sales Tax By LIBBY CUDMORE • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com ONEONTA – The bad news: Oneonta could face as much as a $1.9 million shortfall in sales tax, according to city Finance Director Virginia Lee. “I’ve outlined a mild, medium and severe – one, two and three – scenarios for loss of sales tax,” she said. “Mild would be $478,000. Medium would be $861,000, and severe scenarios could…