PORT JERVIS – The preliminary 2023 City of Port Jervis budget – including the general fund, water and sewer funds – comes in at $20 million, up for $19.4 million in 2022.
Because of widespread inflation nationwide, Mayor Kelly Decker said the initial numbers reflected a double-digit increase in the city spending plan. He was able to crunch numbers and bring the increase down to single digits.
“Our costs, on average for the city have been up 30 percent. Of course, we have to really crunch numbers and work hard with our department heads and keep that number down. And I got it below a two-digit number, but we are still working on it. We want to get it as low as possible,” he told Mid-Hudson News.
Decker said the average homeowner is paying about $1,700 in city taxes this year and it could increase by another $10 to $11 per month.
The spending plan includes an increase in sewer rates, but no hike in water rates.
