Rochester City Council approved a budget for the 2016-17 budget year on Tuesday night. The vote to pass the city budget was unanimous.
Council also votes on the budget for the Rochester City School District , and that budget was approved 8 to 1, with Councilwoman Carolee Conklin the only 'no' vote on the school budget.
Conklin is Chair of Council's Finance Committee, and she says she is pleased to see a budget adopted that ensures the city will remain fiscally sound.
But in a letter she submitted about her vote against the school plan, Conklin raised questions about the budget for the city school district, saying that she has questions about the fiscal oversight of the finances there. Conklin also indicated she didn't feel Council had enough time to review the budget submitted by the school district.
City Council President Loretta Scott says that after a vigorous review of the overall budget submitted by Mayor Lovely Warren, she is happy to see that taxes will decrease $15.85 this year for the average homeowner, while maintaining programming and services that enhance the quality of life.
When Warren submitted her budget in May, officials did say the water rates would be going up three percent to help address long term infrastructure needs.
