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Binghamton treasurer seeks new deputy role as office budget rises 14%
Summary
Treasurer Larry Sutton presented a $59,460.95 increase to his 2026 budget — a 14.07% rise driven mainly by a proposed deputy treasurer position and negotiated union salary increases.
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — The city treasurer on Thursday outlined a 2026 operating budget that would grow by $59,460.95, a 14.07% increase over 2025, chiefly to fund a new deputy treasurer position and modest union-pay increases.
Treasurer Larry Sutton told the Council assembled as a committee of the whole that the proposed deputy position carries a $53,000 annual salary. "Based on my risk assessment of the Treasurer's Office I'm requesting the addition of a Deputy Treasurer for 3 main reasons," Sutton said, listing enhanced separation of duties and cash control, department leadership/back-up and deeper portfolio management of water accounts.
Sutton said the remainder of the increase — $6,008.95 — reflects negotiated union salary changes. He also called for small increases in travel and training and in printing and envelope costs tied to increased water/sewer shutoffs.
Why it matters: the Treasurer's Office handles most revenue intake for the city — water/sewer billing, parking kiosks, ticket collections and some over-the-counter sales. Council members asked whether the proposed deputy would be a civil-service (appointed) role, whether the $53,000 salary is competitive, and how much additional revenue might be recovered through the proposed account-review work. Sutton said personnel had conducted a market analysis and felt the salary would be marketable.
Discussion also touched on customer-facing improvements the office hopes to expand. Sutton said the office has updated the website and bill-pay flow and is promoting ebill to reduce paper bills; additional automation such as autopay and over-the-counter credit-card acceptance were listed as wishlist items to improve convenience.
No formal council action was taken on the treasurer's pages during the hearing; the pages remained open for later consideration. Council members asked the treasurer to provide further details on ebill take-up rates and on any quantifiable revenue opportunities from the proposed deep-dive review of the water/sewer portfolio.
The presentation and discussion occurred during the committee of the whole budget hearing on Sept. 25, beginning when the treasurer presented his section and concluding when the committee moved on to other departmental budgets.
