Utica council sends 34 budget amendment proposals to committee after debate over police pay, CHIPS and health costs

The Utica Common Council voted to send a block of proposed budget amendments to committee after a lengthy special meeting that centered on disputes over police pay lines, special-services revenue tracking, use of CHIPS paving funds and health‑insurance accounting.

The council’s action, taken by voice and without a recorded roll-call vote at the meeting, moves 34 proposed changes into committee for further review and asks staff to provide precise line‑by‑line numbers before the council considers final votes. Council President (presiding) announced the referral after members debated multiple items and heard public comment from police union leadership.

The debate began during a public-comment period restricted to budget amendments, when Officer Joshua Harrington, president of the police union, urged clarity on why several police pay lines were reduced even as contractually required raises approach. “On the amendments, there is a reduction in our our holiday pay and reduction in overtime and other things,” Harrington said, adding that he expected a contractual raise in April and questioned how a cut to holiday pay would be possible in that context.

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