Port Jervis Council adopts local law to override tax cap for 2026 budget

The Port Jervis Common Council voted to adopt Local Law Number Seven, a tax levy override the council said was necessary to accommodate budget calculations for 2026. Mayor Dominic Sicilis and staff told the council the state comptroller set a 2% cap, but the 2026 inflation factor of 2.64% could push the city’s levy above the cap and affect how the budget is structured.

The ordinance was moved, seconded and approved by roll-call vote. Multiple council members voted in favor and one council member voted no; the mayor announced the motion carried. Council members asked clarifying questions about how the comptroller’s cap and the inflation factor are used in budget calculations before the vote.

Council members and the mayor framed the override as a procedural step to preserve budget flexibility during final budget preparation. Mayor Dominic Sicilis said the comptroller “did in July set the number to 2%,” and noted that “the 2026 inflation factor, which is 2.64, would be above the levy,” a difference the city must account for when finishing the budget.

The council did not make additional changes to the budget at the meeting; members said staff would incorporate the approved override into forthcoming budget documents and continue deliberations in subsequent budget sessions. The council then moved on to other agenda items and scheduled follow-up finance meetings.

The public hearing on the local law was opened and closed with no public comment recorded at the meeting. Next procedural steps are for staff to finalize budget numbers and present details to the council in the coming weeks.