Corning City Council considers new spending plan. Here's how much taxes, fees are going up

The Corning City Council will vote June 3 to adopt a proposed $21,171,343 city spending plan that includes a 2.97% tax levy increase.

Corning City Manager Mark Ryckman said the budget would be about $312,232 more than the current $20,860,112 spending plan, which expires June 30.

Under the proposal, city taxes would rise from $10.04 to $10.33 per $1,000 of assessed value, Ryckman said. A home assessed for $120,000 would see a tax increase of $34.44 per year, or $2.87 per month.

“Given the rise in inflation and many years without increases in state aid, these budgets are becoming very difficult to balance,” Ryckman said. “The city receives state revenue sharing through the Aid & Incentives to Municipalities (AIM) program. Our current AIM allocation is $1,499,556, a reduction of $122,734 or 7.6 percent from 2009. It has been held flat for 15 years.”

Corning Mayor Bill Boland expressed strong support for the proposed budget at Monday’s City Council Public Hearing and Direction for the City Manager attended by one city homeowner. All council members supported the spending plan.

Funding for city departments will remain steady, and the budget doesn’t cut or add any positions or programs, Ryckman said. The city currently has 102 full-time employees.

“We had a moderate victory in this year’s State Budget process,” Ryckman said. “The final state budget includes Temporary Municipal Assistance which will provide the City of Corning $174,131. Unfortunately, this is one-time aid which will not support ongoing expenses.”

Water, sewer fees set to rise in Corning

Water and sewer base fees will rise for the first time since 2018.

“We are in need of raising base fees for both water and sewer services,” Ryckman said. “We have been experiencing declining revenues mostly due to the reduction in the number of larger meters as commercial/industrial operations in the community have declined.”

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The typical residential household will see a $4 per month increase in the water base fee and a $1 per month increase in the sewer base fee, Ryckman said. Per quarter the cost will rise $15 for typical residential households.

Ryckman said there is no other increase in other user city fees.

“Because of rising costs, including recent increases in county landfill fees, we will need to begin discussing the need to raise garbage fees for the 2025-26 budget,” Ryckman said. “Our garbage fees have not increased since 2011.”

This article originally appeared on The Leader: Corning City Council considers new spending plan. Here's how much taxes, fees are going up