KINGSTON – Saying he wants city employees to have a living wage, Kingston Mayor Steven Noble has proposed a 2022 budget that includes pay hikes for CSEA workers and the addition of 23 new positions.
The mayor’s $46.7 million spending plan is up from the 2021 budget of $45.2 million, but holds the line on the tax levy and reduces the tax rate for homestead and non-homestead properties.
“We want to make sure that our lowest-paid workers are paid a living wage and that we are able to make sure that our CSEA members can afford to live here in the City of Kingston,” he said. “And we want to make sure that we make major investments in our capital projects as we have had continued success in the last few years, we want to be able to continue to move that forward because there is so much work to do. But I believe that our investment in our critical infrastructure is what is going to continue to keep our city strong and vibrant and to be able to make sure that we are here for the next 150 years.”
Noble said capital projects include the wastewater treatment plant, repaving, major upgrades to Deitz Stadium and converting the Andy Murphy Community Center to solar-powered.
The budget now goes to the common council for its scrutiny.
