Albany City staff present 19 budget transfer requests and two settlements, including $180,000 injury payout

A city finance staff member identified in the transcript as Shaka presented 19 budget transfer requests and two legal settlements at an Albany City meeting Tuesday, July 8, 2025, asking the governing body to reallocate funds to cover invoices, seasonal programs and facility needs.

City staff said the transfer requests move existing budget authority between departmental accounts rather than adding new recurring program funding. The requests included a $63,000 reallocation within the Department of MGS from fleet maintenance and truck maintenance contracting accounts into fleet contracted services, park maintenance equipment and park supplies; a $175,400 set of transfers in New Bend Workforce Services to cover summer-employment expenses across six accounts; a $50,000 reallocation within the Water Department to pay for furniture, contracted purification services and facility supplies; and numerous smaller transfers within the Police Department for investigations, recruitment, communications and equipment purchases.

The transfers also included several larger intra‑department moves: $125,000 shifted from a central booking salaries account to building maintenance contracting services to pay for cooling sensors and related invoices, and $100,000 moved from a central booking salaries account to the Department of Recreation to cover safety and security at aquatic facilities. Staff said some transfers restore accounts after earlier temporary moves into a gift/grant account and that several of the salary transfers resulted from vacancies and “should not affect salaries for the rest of the year,” according to the presenter.

Staff additionally reported two increases in revenue and appropriations tied to police operations: an increase of $286,376 described in the transcript as recognizing “department of human security revenue” for property purchases of equipment, and a $12,000 increase identified as for a “community performance block grant” to cover National Night Out expenses for 2025.

On legal settlements, the transcript records two items. A settlement for a plaintiff named Henry Kalab Ressy was listed at $180,000 for an injury the presenter described as occurring after an excavation-related failure in a street; staff said $150,000 will be paid by the city and $50,000 by the city’s insurer. The transcript also references a settlement involving an Anne Margarette Foreman; the segment lists a figure as “$250” but that appears inconsistent with the other monetary amounts and likely reflects a transcription error, so the amount for that item is not specified in the record provided.

There was no detailed recorded roll-call vote in the transcript for the budget transfers and settlements portion of the meeting; the presenter asked for comments and moved on to next agenda items. The transcript does not record public comment on the transfers or the settlements.

City departments referenced in the transfers include the Department of MGS, Neighborhood Community Services, New Bend Workforce Services, Department of Recreation, Water Department and the Police Department. Staff described most transfers as routine account corrections to pay outstanding invoices, seasonal staff costs and equipment, and to restore amounts previously loaned to a grant account.

The meeting moved on after the finance presentation; the transcript does not show additional public discussion or a formal, recorded vote for these ledger changes in the excerpt provided.