[{"_1":2,"_97":-5,"_98":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6194441,"mediaKeyId","3864192-d1f93defd8af93d76145639eca38133e","parentId",3864192,"title","Council debates broad financial-disclosure requirement for elected and appointed officials","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",1816000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3864192-d1f93defd8af93d76145639eca38133e&start=1816&end=1816","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3864192-d1f93defd8af93d76145639eca38133e/thumbnail_1816000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6194441/Binghamton-City/Broome-County/New-York/Council-debates-broad-financial-disclosure-requirement-for-elected-and-appointed-officials","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6194441-063f3a21d41727b25b491add815c4944/orig.mp4?Expires=1771210762&Signature=NK1qEIDhm20b0Ic21VoX-pTbbr6XL-UN9prH9HkhW5lZljfebXFkI7nVBF6N-HLEw-3iqqx2tjIWBpKUXCK~5f5jbxrVaTmLcwA2TNuY4EZvZDhYl-BEYszBO-dMb4cQFaTat62Ztv7QowJG30FtitFhpgUxtkbyN-HC4gcJYxDIHKGcephutPiMUlFvcpidAWO2QK32w1-Ehsl-faVD7xKDieGozofNPSXY5xfJ0CHD94Ehctpc5~IZ24sLf5ntnJMAhnRJWmAQxL~qshX7I1TNOxFpJMmuHYBu~pTjxUHNkFM5LqPbJkv8S54KGFZt8F1hLdEfpL84~Fz5XRHPoQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Binghamton","date","2025-06-03T00:00:00Z","article","BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — The Binghamton City Council discussed an ordinance to amend Chapter 59 (Code of Ethics) to add a financial-disclosure filing requirement for elected officials, department heads and many appointed boards, commissions and advisory bodies.

Council member Kavanaugh introduced the proposed ordinance and described its scope: elected officials (the mayor and city councilors), department heads and their deputies and assistants, and members of a long list of boards and commissions would be required to file financial-disclosure statements consistent with subsection 2 of Public Officers Law §73-a and local code section 59-5. Kavanaugh said the city could accept a signed copy of a disclosure filed under state law to satisfy the local requirement.

Council members raised questions about the breadth of the filing requirement and privacy concerns for volunteers on boards with limited responsibilities. One council member said some volunteer positions do not deal with money and suggested the requirement might discourage willing appointees; another council member argued for all-or-none application to avoid perceived discrimination among commissions. Several members recommended circulating the proposed disclosure form to see how intrusive it feels in practice.

The discussion reviewed proposed enforcement steps that staff were still finalizing with the city attorney: an inspection by the director of personnel or city clerk on or before June 1, written notice of deficiencies by June 15, and a report to city council on August 1 listing nonfilers and unresolved deficiencies; the final report could be placed in an individual’s personnel file and could trigger removal from boards or commissions depending on position and circumstances.

Supporters said the proposal aligns Binghamton with neighboring jurisdictions that require disclosures and that transparency helps avoid conflicts; opponents expressed concern about privacy and the possible chilling effect on volunteer participation. Council members asked staff to circulate the disclosure form and to provide comparisons with the county and nearby municipalities’ processes before advancing enforcement language to final form.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Work Session 2025.06.02","oneSentenceSummary","Council members discussed an ordinance to amend Chapter 59 (Code of Ethics) to require financial disclosures from elected officials, department heads and many appointed board and commission members; members debated scope, privacy and enforcement and asked for the form to be circulated.","taxTitle","Binghamton City, Broome County, New York","taxId",5034,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_46":80,"_48":81,"_50":82,"_52":83,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":84,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":85,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6194446,"Council approves expedited purchase to replace stormwater pump after failures",303,1202000,1505000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3864192-d1f93defd8af93d76145639eca38133e&start=1202&end=1505","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3864192-d1f93defd8af93d76145639eca38133e/thumbnail_1202000.jpg","/articles/6194446/Binghamton-City/Broome-County/New-York/Council-approves-expedited-purchase-to-replace-stormwater-pump-after-failures","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6194446-6fd8e791c0875751763b990fab7d3f80/orig.mp4?Expires=1771210762&Signature=fHe9I7CX9tVV7BGZGdcY~3GSV3yk3jy4c9hKYs-GMNuPEUtdwaTcyvpvbPh~aMsb2944gGaf9f~WC8OuohTsEeTy7iWjb3BdfJAVlVd4GzZMA~GrYaq7E7OkIeNS8MmsOoS0vkueppZU8qN~~-MQ694219-DowVPcnKcNMzGwKUv~7pQPDrfazFddDGDvZoi0cPJ8viks-uMTkzMvKoWlIlf-1spIZ-249JThWkvvydwqMgKRECXtb6VBgClEPifZRXUB5EySEAu6LwxLluTSJvgczdlm5xbgxGW7BNPb1pt9tUWLLt974~LgFQQvBkKm8bRcle9I0waAcUAGH~RRw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — The Binghamton City Council voted to expedite procurement of a stormwater pump that city staff identified as failing and at risk of burning out under heavy use.

Comptroller Charles Robinson presented the request on behalf of water plant staff and said the replacement is needed this season; the council discussed the pump’s remaining useful life, maintenance register entries and where to fund the purchase. Robinson said the water and sewer funds are “pretty tight,” and suggested the city could temporarily use contingency if necessary.

Council members asked for the plant’s maintenance and asset records, and for the full invoice and total cost before final purchase. One council member moved to expedite the item and a second said the motion was conditioned on receiving the requested information by the next day; the council conducted a roll-call vote and the motion passed 5–0 with Council members Raffel, Hotchkiss, Kavanaugh, Middleton and Council President Dunton recorded as voting yes. Two members were absent.

Robinson said he would contact plant staff to gather maintenance and lifecycle data and intended to provide the requested documentation to council before the following meeting. The expedited authorization allows staff to procure the pump this season to maintain stormwater readiness while the council receives the additional cost and maintenance history details.

The council’s action at this meeting was limited to expedition of the purchase; members did not adopt a final funding reallocation in the public record during the session.","Council authorized an expedited purchase for a failing stormwater pump to maintain flood-readiness; members asked for maintenance records and full cost details to be provided to finance staff.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":42,"_45":90,"_46":91,"_48":92,"_50":93,"_52":94,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":95,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":96,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6194450,"Binghamton council hears revisions to Siemens energy performance contract, including EV charger changes",1139,1139000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3864192-d1f93defd8af93d76145639eca38133e&start=0&end=1139","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3864192-d1f93defd8af93d76145639eca38133e/thumbnail_0.jpg","/articles/6194450/Binghamton-City/Broome-County/New-York/Binghamton-council-hears-revisions-to-Siemens-energy-performance-contract-including-EV-charger-changes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6194450-b82e4ef76c11d0d91078cbbe121bde35/orig.mp4?Expires=1771210762&Signature=YHHjs55SN5NUJVRILjRV503-ielOkf4cRMdDyps9KkcJNgofMEfVx1uNSfYADEk3oALJ2VfNbHvCQsaXNKxBmQxnF5ftqI-lAyXOjFUnAN3i5Ik1UecxxBPpuIbdH4mOM5KUvbuOL-Pz3hQN3Eqrr3jKfAtfTGeCbEPlRateanfHSa5zHjXHto3TXkfrJ1U-zWX8tRRTiJcS0wj9bbk2npFQG8OtoUc4e7HhEFfJ0iCFH1WrOyYiC7sJ8GH7PCX1yia58q3xNjMb1sxNSQCX4-z7pk~D-wtT5eja4OklFYB7VS5CvuhBuHVgsQ-iC1LbXdx667QBzGCSsIH5bawQzQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — Siemens representatives updated the Binghamton City Council on amendments to a master energy performance contracting agreement that would expand LED and weatherization work across city buildings, reconfigure planned heat-pump and generator work, and alter the planned network of electric vehicle (EV) chargers.

Siemens Smart Infrastructure project lead Chris Catt said the company “made some changes, at request of council to ensure this project delivers on what’s best for the citizens of the city of Binghamton.” The amendments presented remove bipolar ionization at City Hall and remove emergency generator heat-pump work at the plant, and add a Level 3 fast charger at the Water Street garage, while reducing some Level 2 chargers.

The changes aim to prioritize a faster, more equitable rollout of EV infrastructure while completing building energy-efficiency upgrades. Siemens engineer Raj Selvaraj told the council the revised scope includes 37 Level 2 chargers “distributed across the city and 2 Level 3 chargers at the Water Street Garage.” The proposal also would finish LED conversions across the municipal building portfolio and add duct sealing, programmable thermostats, weatherization, and some solar film for high-heat windows.

Siemens said its financial estimate had shifted with recent interest-rate movement and tariffs. Catt reported the revised cash-flow shows the project “$140,000 to the positive,” but said that cash-flow figures are illustrative and will be updated and circulated to the council; Siemens has also modeled EV revenue but said the cash flow remains positive even without that revenue.

Council members pressed specifics about selected charger sites, including why First Ward Park was chosen for four chargers and whether Webster Street service is new or existing. A council member noted concern that First Ward Park may not generate frequent use compared with other park locations; Siemens and councilors said charger siting sought equitable geographic distribution and that locations can be adjusted if the council requests it.

Council members and Siemens discussed grant and incentive opportunities; Siemens emphasized the presentation data will support future state and other funding applications. Siemens also noted possible future items for council consideration, including on-site energy storage and expanded solar PV paired with battery storage.

The council did not take a final vote on the amended contract during the meeting; members asked that Siemens provide the updated financial package ahead of the next meeting so the council can consider authorization before further cost increases from tariffs or market changes.","Siemens presented amendments to the city’s energy performance contracting agreement that remove bipolar ionization and some heat-pump work, add a Level 3 fast charger at the Water Street garage and reconfigure the citywide EV charger count; council requested updated financials before final authorization.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council debates broad financial-disclosure requirement for elected and appointed officials

Council approves expedited purchase to replace stormwater pump after failures

Binghamton council hears revisions to Siemens energy performance contract, including EV charger changes