UTICA — With a deadline to approve the city’s budget and avoid a default, the Utica Common Council will meet on Monday, March 20, at Utica City Hall, where the budget vote will take place. In order for the budget to pass, it must receive a majority vote from five out of the nine councilors.

On Wednesday night’s council meeting at city hall, councilors had a few objections and proposed amendments to the budget and chose not to bring it to a vote, choosing instead to call a special meeting on Monday, which would be the last day the council would be able to vote on the budget while avoiding a default.

Last month, Utica Mayor Robert Palmieri proposed a $79.8 million budget for the 2023-2024 fiscal year to the city’s Board of Estimate and Apportionment. In the budget proposal, Palmieri would allocate 38%, or nearly $30 million, to go toward the city’s police department, 28%, or nearly $22 million, to go toward the city’s fire department, 13%, or roughly $10 million, to go toward public works, parks and street lighting; and 21%, or nearly $17 million, to go toward all other municipal expenses.

Palmieri’s proposed budget also does not call for an increase in property taxes, which would mark the fifth consecutive year that taxes were not increased in the city, should the budget be adopted.

Among the reasons to delay a vote until the 20th were that councilors wanted to make amendments regarding additional funds allocated to Anita’s Stevens Swan Humane Society’s contract with the city, amend the mayoral department’s salary allocation to reflect the loss of a chief of staff position, and discuss concerns regarding contracts with the union for the Utica Fire Department.

The Utica Common Council will meet at 4:30 p.m. on Monday at Utica City Hall, 1 Kennedy Plaza, where the budget vote is scheduled to take place.

On Wednesday night’s council meeting at city hall, councilors had a few objections and proposed amendments to the budget and chose not to bring it to a vote, choosing instead to call a special meeting on Monday, which would be the last day the council would be able to vote on the budget while avoiding a default.

Last month, Utica Mayor Robert Palmieri proposed the $79.8 million budget for the 2023-2024 fiscal year to the city’s Board of Estimate and Apportionment. In the budget proposal, Palmieri would allocate 38%, nearly $30 million, to go towards the city’s police department, 28%, nearly $22 million, to go towards the city’s fire department, 13%, roughly $10 million, to go towards public works, parks and street lighting; and 21%, nearly $17 million, to go towards all other municipal expenses.

Palmieri’s proposed budget also does not call for an increase in property taxes, which would mark the fifth consecutive year that taxes were not increased in the city, should the budget be adopted.

Among the reasons to delay a vote until the 20th, councilors wanted to make amendments regarding additional funds allocated to Anita’s Stevens Swan Humane Society’s contract with the city, amending the mayoral department’s salary allocation to reflect the loss of a chief of staff position, and to discuss concerns regarding contracts with the union for the Utica Fire Department.

The Utica Common Council will meet at 4:30 p.m. on Monday at Utica City Hall, 1 Kennedy Plaza, where the budget vote is scheduled to take place.