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Rome council delays 2026 budget vote to Nov. 12, approves extension ordinance
Summary
After two public commenters urged either cuts or realism about rising costs, the Rome Common Council voted unanimously to extend the deadline for approving the 2026 annual estimate and agreed to delay a final budget vote until Nov. 12 for further review.
President Nash opened the Oct. 22 meeting of the Rome Common Council and asked the body to delay final action on the proposed 2026 budget to the council’s next regular meeting on Nov. 12 to allow more time for review and discussion.
At the public-comment portion, John Riley of 703 Lee Street, a candidate for the Fifth Ward council seat, urged the council to cut the proposed budget and avoid any tax increase. “We as citizens of Rome, and candidates are asking for the budget to be cut. So there's no tax increase,” Riley said, describing his attendance at department-level budget review meetings and urging scrutiny of salaries and duplicated services. A second speaker identified as Dennis criticized online critics who do not attend meetings and pressed elected officials to propose concrete changes rather than complaints; he said losing candidates could demonstrate commitment by donating up to $12,000 of annual salary to the city.
The council agreed to move forward with an ordinance allowing more time to approve the annual estimate. On unanimous consent the council waived rule 6 and advanced Ordinance No. 9829, which authorizes an extension of time for the Common Council to approve the 2026 annual estimate; the voice vote on final passage recorded all in favor and the ordinance carried.
Councilors who spoke in favor of additional review said more meetings with department heads and time to resolve line‑item questions were needed before a final vote. Councilor Sprague said the council needs to “do its due diligence” before voting, and Councilor Mortis noted that the council has already spent excessive hours on the budget and still needs clarification on several items.
The budget debate included one specific public claim about staffing costs: Riley said a proposal to replace the city treasurer with a comptroller would raise starting compensation “about $120,000” compared with “about $72,000” for a treasurer — a claim reported here as stated by the commenter and not independently verified by the council during the meeting.
What happens next: the council will continue review and is scheduled to consider the budget at its Nov. 12 regular meeting. Ordinance No. 9829 formalizes that extension of time, giving the council additional days to review the 2026 annual estimate before taking final action.
