Niagara Falls Mayor Paul Dyster laid out his 2018 budget proposal in a 20 minute presentation to the City Council Friday evening.
He says one recurring problem led him to recommend a 2.6% homestead tax increase and a 14.7% non-homestead tax increase.
"We haven't been collecting enough tax revenues to run the government without using casino revenues to fill gaps for a number of years," Dyster said.
NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. -- Niagara Falls previously received money from the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino annually, but the Senecas stopped those payments, arguing that the nation no longer has a financial obligation to New York State under a 2002 compact.
Dyster says he believes whether the case is settled or goes to court, New York will prevail, and Niagara Falls will continue to receive payments, but until then, their budget will not rely on any casino funding.
He says the city was planning to do that anyway, but thought they had a few more years.
"We thought that we could count on casino revenues from the time of the 2013 settlement through 2023, and our strategy was to try to reduce our reliance on casino revenues, but aiming at a 2023 target," Dyster said.
Dyster's budget includes a 9.4% cut in the city's operations budget.
His plan includes no layoffs, but 6 full time employees at the Hyde Park Golf Course will be reallocated to other parks, leaving just a greenskeeper.
The course will rely on temp workers for any additional maintenance.
Dyster also acknowledges his plan relies on at least some of the city's 73 eligible professionals to retire.
"If a position goes vacant for retirement or some other reason, we're gonna ask the department head not to fill it and try to restructure the operations and make things work," Dyster said.
The Niagara Falls City Council will now hold hearings on the budget proposal before recommending potential changes.
The final version will be given back to Dyster to approve before the council votes on it.
That process must be complete before December 1st