BY JIMMY LAWTON
North Country This Week

OGDENSBURG — Mayoral candidate Michael Tooley says a failure to pass the tax cap override would be catastrophic for the city of Ogdensburg.

Tooley is the only candidate who will appear in the mayoral line in November.

On Tuesday he spoke at the public meeting calling on council to set a public hearing on the matter, which is necessary as a precursor to passing the tax cap override.

Although it has not been adopted by council, a spending plan prepared by staff would increase the tax levy by $1.17 million nearly 25 percent, keep the tax rate flat and exceed the state’s proposed tax cap by 94%.

Councilor John Rishe, as well as Deputy Mayor Steve Fisher and Councilor William Dillabough, said they will not consider adopting the tentative budget, or passing a tax cap override until after budget workshops take place.

Those are currently set for Oct. 16 and Oct. 30 and Nov. 6.

Tooley also pointed out that it appears that regardless of the results of the upcoming election it is likely that at least three members of city council will be coming in with no prior experience as a councilor.

Currently there are five candidates seeking four council seats.

Fisher, Rishse and Dillagbough’s seats will be up for grabs, as well as an unexpired term for Nichole Kennedy’s seat.

Four Democrats, including Jennifer Stevenson, R. Storm Cilley, Michael Weaver and Donna Trimm, are hoping to fill the vacancies.

On the Republican line, Robert Edie is hoping to secure one of the seats.

Tooley suggested the city budget for workshops or training for those councilors.

He also suggested that the city should look to the New York Conference of Mayors for support.

Tooley questioned several of the staff proposed changes in various budget lines, however at this time the council has not publicly discussed details of staff’s proposed budget.

Tooley suggested that the proposed increases in sewer and water could likely be reduced as the current fund balances for both are “healthy enough.”

“As was noted at the last city council meeting. We need to find ways to provide relief to the proposed increase in the water fund and the sewer fund rates when you consider the significant increase in property taxes used to balance the 2023 general fund.”