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Residents urge council to reject or reduce proposed 2026 tax increase at Rome budget hearing
Summary
At a public hearing Oct. 8, residents pressed the City of Rome Common Council to reject or scale back a proposed 2026 tax increase, raising concerns about capital projects, a refuse contract, ARPA purchases and staffing costs.
Rome — Dozens of residents who spoke at a public hearing Tuesday urged the City of Rome Common Council to reject or reduce a proposed increase to the 2026 city tax levy and questioned several budget line items and capital projects.
“Exactly what were these cuts?” asked David Ambiton, a resident of Town Line Road, saying the mayor had claimed to cut “over a million dollars” from the budget but Ambiton found no line-item detail. He also raised a pending civil lawsuit he said stems from actions by the mayor and asked how the administration had accounted for judgments or claims.
Outer-district resident Angela Topi said the proposed outer-district increase of about 3.6% contrasts with a 2.59% increase for inside districts and asked why residents without the same amenities would face higher increases. Topi questioned a projected $275,000 bed tax from only two hotels and flagged the household refuse rate hike alongside a roughly $3.9 million refuse contract.
Michael Brown told the council he was troubled that the city might commit $3.7 million in local matching funds for a proposed $15 million field house grant and urged officials to weigh affordability for residents. Brown also questioned a $400,000 street-striping machine bought with ARPA funds that he said has not been used and suggested examining the necessity of a separate commissioner of fire and police for the city’s size.
Other speakers expressed mixed views about trade-offs in the budget. Dennis Perfetti said a new field house could bring regional spending to Rome and described the average household impact of a 2.59% increase as modest — “$3 a month.” Brock Capone, speaking as a young resident, warned that multimillion-dollar amenities and slow progress on long-term housing (he cited a Woodhaven project originally planned for 250 homes but with 12 built so far) risk excluding younger families.
Why it matters: Residents framed their remarks around affordability, transparency and priorities. Several asked the council to identify specific cuts that would achieve a 0% tax increase and requested clearer community engagement in the budget process.
What’s next: The public hearing closed Oct. 8; councilors discussed the budget during the regular meeting and instructed further departmental review. No final budget vote was recorded in this session.
