Binghamton’s director of economic development, Sarah Glos, told the City Council finance committee on Sept. 30 that the department’s 2026 operating request is largely unchanged from 2025, with only modest line‑item increases for salaries, travel and promotions.

Glos said the department is requesting a $400 increase for salaries, $250 for travel and training and $150 for promotions and marketing. She said the office plans to continue a small, flexible events fund launched last year to seed community festivals and other downtown activities.

Glos described the department’s contract for grant consulting services as “valued at $65,000.” She told council members that, “since 2022, that consultant has secured over $14,000,000 in grant funds for the city of Binghamton,” and that the contract covers work the city asks the consultant to pursue. She identified the firm as Woladas and said two people from that firm work with her office.

The department is also maintaining memberships in professional organizations, and Glos said the office pays BMI/ASCAP-style music licensing fees for some events; she described those fees as legally required and adjusted based on population and other factors. A line funded with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars that supported events and work with the Broome County Arts Council will be exhausted by the end of 2025, she said, and the department asked that the event-support pot begun last year continue as a modest city line item.

Glos said the office of four staff members manages a broad portfolio: business development, downtown and neighborhood retail revitalization, technical assistance for businesses, housing initiatives, grants, and coordination with planning and other departments. She said housing projects that have been in development for several years are expected to begin construction next year. “Housing takes a very, very long time to get funded through the state level,” she told the committee, “so we’re finally at that point where we’ll be able to see some big progress.”

Council members pressed Glos on data capacity and downtown organization support. Glos said Binghamton does not have a dedicated data office like some peer cities; she said the city has examined contracting for analytics tools such as Placer AI but found the software expensive (she cited roughly $20,000 as an illustrative cost) and still dependent on staff capacity to generate useful, defensible reports. She recommended building staff capacity and encouraging a business‑led downtown organization rather than a city‑run one.

Glos asked council members to follow and share the economic development Facebook page to improve outreach and said the office will continue working with the Binghamton Local Development Corporation, of which she serves as executive director, and with planning staff to advance projects.

The committee did not take a final vote on the department’s budget lines during the Sept. 30 hearing; members deferred further action to the regular budget process.

Looking ahead, Glos said the department’s near‑term priorities are completing several housing starts and then shifting emphasis to workforce development and job‑creation activities.