The Binghamton City Council on Aug. 13 held over introductory ordinance O25-45, a proposal to amend the city’s 2025 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) budget to buy turnout gear and two medical response vehicles for the fire department, after a council member asked the administration to resolve a separate ARPA contract restriction affecting a nonprofit before the ordinance is voted on.
The ordinance’s sponsor, Council member Kavanaugh, said the equipment is necessary, that the city has unspent CDBG capital funds that must be used for eligible capital expenses, and that the request is a reasonable use of those dollars. “It’s necessary turnout gear for the fire department,” Kavanaugh said, adding the purchase would also replace an out-of-service vehicle.
The motion to hold O25-45 was prompted by a council member who raised that the city previously awarded $386,000 in ARPA funding to Southern Door Community Land Trust in December but that Southern Door has not been able to access the money because the mayor added a contract restriction requiring the grantee to raise 70% of total project costs before drawing funds. That council member asked that the administration amend Southern Door’s contract so the ARPA award can be advanced rather than reimbursed before the council spends other federal funds the administration says are at risk of rescission.
Council member Cameron said she shares the concern about federal clawbacks but did not favor delaying the fire-department funding; she described the need for the equipment and said she hopes the city will resolve the Southern Door contract matter quickly. Another council member said they were reluctant to hold the ordinance only because the fire department needs the equipment, while also calling the Southern Door contract restriction “unfair and wrong.”
After a motion and second to hold the ordinance over, the council president announced that O25-45 would be held to the next business meeting.
The holdover means the council will not vote on the CDBG reallocation at this session; members asked the mayor’s office and city administration to report back on whether the Southern Door contract can be amended so that the ARPA award is advanced rather than reimbursed.
Background: CDBG funds are federal Community Development Block Grant dollars subject to HUD rules governing eligible capital uses in low-income neighborhoods. The council debate turned on whether spending these federally designated human-services-oriented funds on fire equipment is the best use of the dollars and whether unspent federal funds citywide that administration officials have warned might be rescinded should be prioritized.