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Saratoga Springs council approves 2026 budget, capital plan and employee pay limit
Summary
The City of Saratoga Springs City Council approved the 2026 proposed budget and a revised capital plan by 4–1 votes, restoring nonprofit funding including $400,000 for the Adelphi Street Shelter and enacting an appointed-employee pay limit that will be effective Jan. 1.
The City of Saratoga Springs City Council approved the 2026 proposed budget on a 4–1 vote and also adopted a revised capital budget that includes funding for parking-structure repairs, equipment and facility work.
The finance presenter said nonprofit funding was restored in the budget, including $400,000 allocated for the Adelphi Street Shelter operated by RISE, and that the city is “within the tax cap” (a tax-cap figure of 4.5% was cited in the record). The council also enacted changes to the appointed-employee resolution; the Chair said the position limit would not exceed $145,000 and that, while the measure would be enacted that day, it would take effect on Jan. 1.
The decision followed a public hearing in which David Butch of the Upstate Conservative Coalition urged the council to prioritize homeless services and said, “You can't you shouldn't take assets to pay for ongoing expenses.” The finance presenter told the council that earlier reporting overstated newly identified fund balance; “it was about 259,000,” the presenter said, correcting a prior $1,000,000 figure.
Council members debated trade-offs between raising taxes and cutting spending. One council member noted the body previously voted to raise taxes to the tax-cap limit (recorded elsewhere in the meeting as 4.55%) but said an estimated $1,500,000 annual budget gap remained. The finance presenter said the amended budget includes a mix of measures — restored nonprofit funding, some pay decreases for deputy and executive assistants and compensation changes for council members — and that the full budget documents are posted on the city website.
On the capital side, the council approved funding for ambulance equipment, stormwater improvements, ice-rink rehabilitation, building repairs, vehicle and equipment purchases and parking-facility improvements. For parking-structure work the presenter said $100,000 would come from the capital budget and another $125,000 from the parking-structure reserve. A roll-call vote on the capital budget recorded four ayes and one no.
The council closed the public hearing and adjourned after routine business. The budget vote is final for the council; the finance presenter noted the council could still adopt a different budget before the end of the month if it chose to do so.
