CITY OF KINGSTON

OFFICE OF THE MAYOR

CITY HALL

420 BROADWAY
KINGSTON, NEW YORK 12401

www.kingston-ny.gov
mayorgallo@kingston-ny.gov

SHAYNE R. GALLO

Phone
3902

MAYOR

(845) 334-

Fax
(845) 3343904

MEMORANDUM
TO:

Carly Williams, City Clerk

James Noble, Council President

FROM:

Shayne R. Gallo, Mayor

DATE:
RE:

December 7, 2015
Resolution No. 258 Veto

After careful consideration I have decided to veto the Citys 2016

Budget. The increased allocation of funding by the City Council
albeit, well intended, is inappropriate, misplaced and does not help
with stabilizing our tax base (over the last four (4) years our City
has not collected over $4 million in tax revenue and over 200 plus
properties are now in arrears).
Therefore, for the Council to restore funding for specific
departmental and legislative branch personnel without considering
the respective value of the positions functions, in the context of
the overall City budget and impact on our Citys tax base, is not only
unjustifiable but wreaks of putting politics before the public
interest. This is so due to the following: increase costs for our Citys
solid waste/sludge tipping fees with UCRRA, union contract

CITY OF KINGSTON
OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
CITY HALL

420 BROADWAY
KINGSTON, NEW YORK 12401

SHAYNE R. GALLO

MAYOR

www.kingston-ny.gov
mayorgallo@kingston-ny.gov

Phone
3902

(845) 334-

Fax
(845) 3343904

settlements and for our Citys employees and retiree medical plans,
to cite only a few of the unfunded mandates our City is obligated to
pay for annually.
In that context, the other increased allocations added by the
Council regardless of their intentions make the management of our
City finances and impact on our City tax base prospectively
unmanageable. Furthermore, it is very perplexing, if not disturbing
that, the former Mayor, other elected officials and a few supporters
of the incoming administration, have engaged in a pattern of
intimidation against Council persons to influence their vote (s)
regarding the positions that would be added in the 2016 Budget and
made available for their families and friends.
Thank you.
SRG:edd