The city of Rochester just passed an historic budget for the upcoming year. Historic because it includes an unprecedented 37.7 percent reduction in the property tax rate, following a reassessment that showed the largest increases in property values in decades. Values increased because people want to buy homes here, and we chose to cut the tax rate considerably and leave the tax levy flat. That means that we are not collecting any more tax dollars next year than we did this year. And we did this all while weening us off of COVID relief dollars and without any significant reduction in services.

This is a “good news budget.” Yet, it only passed by the narrowest of margins with the undersigned voting “yes” and our four colleagues voting “no.” Our vote came after a lengthy process that started with a joint memo to Mayor Malik Evans sharing our priorities months ago, and ended with three full days of robust (and televised) budget hearings.
The majority of City Council did what we were elected to do: ensure that our city has a balanced, on-time budget that adequately funds critical services. We also moved forward our “Pact with the People,” which promised investments in safer neighborhoods, quality housing, and equitable access to opportunity. These priorities are embedded in the approved budget and we will be partnering with the Evans administration to bring them to fruition.

While we move forward on investing in our “Pact with the People,” many of our sister cities in New York are struggling to put together their own good news budgets. While we are cutting the tax rate by 37.7 percent, Buffalo is considering a tax rate increase. In New York City, they are regularly considering massive funding cuts. For example, the New York Public Library just staved off a proposed budget cut of tens of millions of dollars that would have eliminated full days of service at many branches. Meanwhile, our budget invests more money in our libraries and includes a massive expansion at the Maplewood branch.
We are excited about the work ahead and proud of the stable financial condition we are in, but also incredibly concerned that nearly half of the city’s elected legislators would consider jeopardizing the critical services that we provide. In voicing their concerns during our June 18th meeting, they shared that this budget “was not bold enough” but did not provide any salient details about what they preferred. They also spread misinformation about the reassessment—for instance, claiming the process was not “fair, honest and correct”—and the associated changes in taxes.
It is worth noting what a fifth no vote would have done. It could have taken away the livelihoods of over 3,000 City employees, the majority of whom live in the city. A fifth no vote could have rattled our ability to perform emergency services, like policing, fire protection, road repair, or 911 emergency communications. A fifth no vote could have closed recreation centers and pools at the beginning of summer, and ended summer food programs for children that depend upon them. A fifth no vote could have ended garbage pickup in the summertime, the smell of which would remind us daily of just how much such a vote would stink.
Fortunately, the five of us banded together to avoid this type of dysfunction. We passed a good news budget that included some critical investments, including the opportunity for the Rochester Fire Department to increase its emergency response capabilities, resources to strengthen the Public Market’s infrastructure, and a plan to rebuild the relationships between our Neighborhood Service Centers and the many neighborhood groups throughout the community.
All of these investments are aligned with our Pact with the People. We released this document because we wanted the community to know that we are focused on results and not political theater. The budget we just passed reaffirms this focus and commitment.
A good news budget, with a tax rate decrease and investment in key services, is what this community wants and deserves. The majority of City Council is proud to deliver it.
LaShay Harris is City Council vice president and Bridget Monroe is a Councilmember. Joining them in authoring this article are Council President Miguel Melendez, and Councilmembers Mitch Gruber and Michael Patterson.
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