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The Plattsburgh Common Council held its first meeting of the year Thursday. Following the organizational meeting the new mayor and council held their first formal session.
Due to COVID-19 precautions half of the councilors were at City Hall. The other half joined virtually. It was the first meeting for newly sworn in Democratic Plattsburgh Mayor Chris Rosenquest and two new councilors: Ward 4 Democrat Jennifer Tallon, who was elected in November, and independent Jaime Canales, who was appointed by former Mayor Colin Read to fill the term of former councilor Ira Barbell.
During the organization portion of the meeting councilors decided to change their meeting schedule from weekly to twice a month, on the first and third Thursday. Ward 2 Democrat Mike Kelly was apprehensive about the reduced frequency. “Mayor Kasprzak who I served under had weekly meetings. And Mayor Calnon who I served under next had bi-weekly meetings. Mayor Read changed it back to weekly meeting
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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
Dec 19, 2020
PLATTSBURGH â After months of throwing elbows, the Plattsburgh City Common Council came to a consensus Thursday night, closing out 2020 with an approved budget for next year, which features a modest tax cut. It s fair; it s equitable; it doesn t put people out of jobs; it s fiscally responsible, City Councilor Elizabeth Gibbs (D-Ward 3) said of the spending plan. It was the right thing to do to settle that before everyone goes away on Christmas â to know that they have a jobs.  Â
FINALIZED BUDGET
All five councilors voted to OK the $59.9 million spending plan at their final meeting of the year.Â
It offered up a tax rate of $11.41 per $1,000 of assessed property value, down $0.24, or more than 2 percent, from the current year.Â