The Auburn City Council is moving closer to adopting its 2026-27 budget, but not before making several potential changes following public hearings and discussion at Thursday night’s meeting.
City Clerk Chuck Mason said two public hearings were held — one on a proposed local law allowing the city to override New York’s tax cap and another on the proposed budget itself. The budget currently calls for a 5.5% increase in the tax levy, resulting in an estimated 8% increase in the city tax rate. The council is expected to vote on the tax cap override law at its June 4 meeting. No residents spoke during that public hearing.
Several residents did speak during the budget hearing, with much of the discussion focused on restoring funding for the Casey Park pool and preserving the city’s crossing guard program.
Mason said there appears to be growing support among council members to reopen the Casey Park pool for at least part of the summer. The Auburn YMCA has offered to provide four weeks of lifeguard staffing, while Wegmans has committed sponsorship funding. City officials estimate it would cost about $30,000 to operate the pool this season.
The crossing guard program also remains under discussion. City staff has proposed funding seven crossing guard positions, down from the current 13. Councilor Terry Cuddy voiced support for maintaining the existing program, and additional discussion is expected before the budget is finalized.
Mason said the latest version of the budget relies largely on staffing reductions through vacant positions and employees who accepted early retirement incentives. While some positions would see reduced hours and some part-time jobs would be eliminated, he said no current full-time city employees are expected to lose their jobs.
The council also agreed to delay a final budget vote after Councilor Jimmy Diego requested additional time to review spending lines and raise questions about several budget items. The final vote on the budget is now scheduled for June 11, while the vote on the tax cap override remains scheduled for June 4.
