Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Tonawanda officials warn of roughly $3 million shortfall as budget options include cuts or tax changes
Summary
City officials at a March 24 special meeting flagged a projected multimillion-dollar hole in the 2026 budget, debating service cuts, privatizing sanitation with a user fee and whether to pursue a local law to exceed the tax cap.
City of Tonawanda officials warned that the municipality could face a multimillion-dollar shortfall as they began an early review of the 2026 budget during a March 24 special meeting.
City Treasurer (speaking at the meeting) said the city was facing a significant gap, telling council members, "we're looking at a $3,000,000 hole." The treasurer and department leaders walked council through line items where cuts might be considered if new revenue does not materialize, citing rising fuel and utility costs and recent overtime from multiple structure fires.
The discussion focused on trade-offs: retain current service levels and raise revenue, or reduce services. The treasurer framed the choice plainly: the…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
