BINGHAMTON, N.Y. -- Binghamton Mayor Richard David has put together his spending plan for 2017, and Tuesday night he'll share the budget proposal with the city. The speech is taking place at the City Council Chamber in downtown Binghamton.
David says the 2017 spending plan is something he thinks residents will be very pleased with, and ahead of that presentation he took some time to highlight the bigger budget issues he'll be digging into Tuesday night.
The major focus is the city's tax rate. David says they've had only moderate increases over the past two years. Last year there was a .41 percent increase, but the Mayor says that comes on the heels of a 52 percent tax increase since 2006.
In 2014, Binghamton was listed as having the highest property tax rate per capita in New York. David says he'll discuss the additional steps the city plans to take to reduce the tax burden facing residents and business owners.
The mayor says he will also discuss advancing infrastructure. His goal is to improve 15 miles of street a year.
"People in businesses don't want to live in areas that are unsafe, that have high taxes that have crumbling infrastructure, that have quality of life issues in our parks and neighborhoods. That's why I believe if we address all of these issues simultaneously, we're creating a much better atmosphere for businesses and residents,” David said.
The mayor's presentation will be held at the Binghamton City Council Chamber. It's set for 7:30 p.m. and is open to the public.