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Council to consider transfer from general fund for firefighter turnout gear after debate over CDBG use
Summary
Council member Rebecca Rathmill presented a proposal to transfer general fund balance to purchase turnout gear for the Binghamton Fire Department after rejecting an earlier mayoral request to use Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds; council voted 7-0 to expedite the ordinance’s consideration.
Council members heard a proposal on Monday to fund turnout gear for the Binghamton Fire Department through a transfer from the city’s general fund rather than drawing from Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) money.
Council member Rebecca Rathmill, presenting the finance committee item, said council rejected an earlier mayoral request in June to use unspent CDBG funds for turnout gear because CDBG is primarily intended to create and preserve affordable housing. Rathmill said the city’s general fund — which the city comptroller’s 2024 financial report showed held more than $13 million — is the appropriate source for essential public safety expenditures.
"The Community Development Block Grant Program was established by HUD for the primary purpose of creating and preserving affordable housing in low-income neighborhoods," Rathmill said. Rathmill told members that after asking for a full accounting, the council discovered more than $700,000 in unspent CDBG funds accrued over the last six years; she later noted a related figure of $813,000 in available funds after further calibration.
Several council members praised Rathmill for working quickly to find the alternative funding mechanism. The council voted 7-0 on a procedural motion to expedite consideration of the transfer. Council members said they want CDBG funds to be used for their intended housing purposes and cited concerns about timeliness and administrative complexity in drawing down federal funds.
Rathmill asked that the comptroller and planning department be involved if the proposal moves to committee and recommended more direct assistance to prospective CDBG applicants to reduce reporting burdens. The meeting did not record a final vote to adopt the transfer ordinance during Monday’s session; the procedural expedite motion passed by roll call.
