Port Jervis council opens 2025 budget hearing, keeps it open until Dec. 9 and votes to enter executive session

The Port Jervis City Council opened a public hearing on the city's 2025 fiscal year budget at the start of a meeting that began at 6:30 p.m., then voted to leave the hearing open until Dec. 9 at 6:30 p.m. for additional public input.

An unidentified presiding official asked for a motion to open the budget hearing; after a motion and second were recorded, the council voted in favor and the presiding official said, "Motion carries." The record states the motion to open the hearing was made and seconded in the council chambers; the transcript identifies "Motion by Councilman Rhodes, Second by Councilman Vicarillo" when the council later voted to leave the hearing open.

The council ultimately voted to keep the public hearing open until Dec. 9 at 6:30 p.m., with the motion recorded in the minutes as "Motion by Councilman Rhodes, Second by Councilwoman Fuller," and the presiding official again announcing that the motion carried. The extended hearing deadline preserves time for additional testimony or submissions on the 2025 budget before council action.

After public comment, the council moved to enter an executive session to address four items: two personnel matters (the chief of police was asked to join), litigation, and a contractual item added at the last minute. The transcript records that a motion to enter executive session was made and carried. The section of the transcript that attempts to name the mover and seconder in that motion contains a garbled line and inconsistent spellings (see audit); the official record should be consulted for the precise motion sponsor and second.

No formal vote tallies with member-by-member votes are recorded in the posted transcript for these motions; the meeting record shows only that the motions carried. The council left the budget public hearing open for the stated follow-up date and proceeded to the executive session as recorded.