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Council adopts 2026 annual appropriation as an emergency to meet auditor deadline
Summary
Council approved O09-26, the annual appropriation ordinance for fiscal 2026, and agreed to an emergency filing so the appropriation can be submitted to the county auditor by April 1. The finance director said the emergency was needed because of time constraints; one member abstained on the emergency vote.
The Cortland City Council on March 16 adopted the annual appropriation ordinance for the 2026 fiscal year and declared it an emergency so the filing can be accepted by the county auditor.
"I want to thank you guys for passing an emergency, the second reading. It is a time constraint," the finance director said, urging the council to approve the emergency designation so the appropriation can be entered with the auditor by April 1. The council approved the emergency declaration by roll call; one member recorded an abstention. The ordinance itself was then approved on roll call with one abstention.
Councilors asked procedural questions about timing and whether a special meeting would be required if the emergency were not approved. The finance director said approving the emergency avoids a special meeting and helps the department process bills and payments in a timely way.
The transcript records no substantive changes to spending policy during the second reading; the action was presented as an administrative necessity to meet filing deadlines. The council’s approval authorizes the spending limits for municipal operations in the 2026 fiscal year and directs the finance department to file the appropriation with the county auditor.
The council moved on to other agenda items after the vote. Staff noted follow-up tasks for processing payments and ensuring the appropriation is properly recorded with the auditor.
