Binghamton mayor unveils roughly $111 million 2026 budget with modest tax cuts and heavy public‑safety, housing and infrastructure spending

The mayor of Binghamton presented the city’s proposed 2026 budget at a Committee of the Whole meeting, proposing a budget of roughly $111,000,000, slight reductions in property tax rates, and targeted investments in public safety, housing and infrastructure.

The proposal would reduce the homestead tax rate by 0.1% and the nonhomestead rate by 1.7%; it would not increase water, sewer or refuse fees. The mayor said the budget “includes $78,800,000 federal fund that supports the day to day operations of the city” and that the city has increased its fund balance to $14,000,000.

Why it matters: the budget shapes staffing and service levels for police and fire, funds ongoing housing rehabilitation and downtown revitalization projects, and underpins multiple infrastructure projects citywide.

The spending plan allocates major amounts to public safety. The Binghamton Police Department’s proposed 2026 budget is $16,100,000, intended to support personnel and community‑oriented policing. The mayor said the city increased officer pay, adopted a citywide paid parental‑leave policy, expanded recruitment and modernized rules to retain officers; he noted a recent civil‑service test had more than 120 applicants, “more than triple the number” who took it five years earlier. The mayor said violent crime is down 30% since he took office and that index crime is “at its lowest levels on record,” citing FBI statistics.

On behavioral‑health response, Broome County Mental Health has an RFP under way and the county is “doubling the funding” for the mobile…