Few attended Noble’s budget presentation. If adopted as is, taxes would remain flat in 2018.
View the full budget
KINGSTON – The bottom would grow by just over a million dollars, while leaving tax levies unchanged, in the City of Kingston 2018 budget, presented by Mayor Steven Noble on Tuesday night.
A little over $42.5 million is proposed for next year, up $1.05 million
from the current $41.7 million tab.
Those numbers now must be scrutinized by the Finance and Audit Committee, before being ratified by the common council in December. Aldermen did not receive the final draft until minutes before the presentation.
“Our tax levy is not increasing. For the third year in a row, there will be a zero increase in the tax levy,” Noble noted, adding that tax rates will decline for the second year consecutively. “All essential services will be preserved; there will be no elimination of currently filled full-time positions here.”.
The tax levy last year was $17.65 million. Rates are down this year, to $9.95 per $1,000 of assessed residential property, down from $10.10 in 2017.
Over $1 million has been put into contingency for contract settlements, and other unforeseen emergencies.
Noble spoke for 35 minutes explaining the policies his approach to managing
city resources, including investments into technology and automation.
Big ticket items include a new fire engine and an additional garbage recycling
truck. Each alderman will also receive a personal laptop to securely keep
in touch with constituents.
In other changes, a vacant police position will be eliminated, and replaced with an Internet technology employee who will work on law enforcement equipment.
Noble explained that a malfunctioning printer can take an entire cruiser
vehicle out of service. “The world of body cams and dash cams and
video recordings being used in the courts has changed policing.
Additionally, a full-time asset manager is being added to the city payroll, along with a part-time health and wellness director, and a part-time arts and culture director.
