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The Plattsburgh Common Council met for the last time in 2020 Thursday night and their agenda included final passage of the city’s 2021 budget.
Outgoing Democratic Mayor Colin Read had presented a nearly $58 million proposed budget to city council in June, hoping for early passage. But in mid-September councilors sent it back to the mayor requesting he find reductions of at least 10 percent and return it to the council by October 8th. Since the mayor resubmitted the fiscal plan on October 5th councilors have been debating the budget and holding budget workshops since mid-November. Ward 5 Democrat Patrick McFarlin placed the 2021 fiscal plan on the agenda for a final vote. “We were doing a lot of budget workshops. There’s a lot of compromises. A 2% tax deduction. I know it’s not as much as Mike (Ward 2 Democrat Mike Kelly) wanted but I think a balanced budget with a 2% tax deduction in this year with COVID still ravaging the country I think that’s a good resu