The Niagara Falls City Council has set a public hearing Thursday on Mayor Robert Restaino’s proposed 2025 city budget.
In a resolution, approved at a council special meeting last week, city lawmakers said they will require that the mayor, city administrator and director of finance all attend the public hearing.
The council will also hold hearings on the proposed budget on Nov. 18 and 21. The lawmakers will meet again on Nov. 25 to propose any amendments to the budget.
Restaino has said the 2025 budget proposal doesn’t contain “many changes or drastic changes from the 2024 budget.”
The $101,644,324 proposed budget reflects roughly half a million dollars in increased spending, offset by a similar projected increase in revenue. Restaino also said the proposed budget calls for “again reducing our dependence on casino revenues” to fill gaps.
The mayor said a sharp decrease in the value of Non-Homestead (business) properties combined with a modest increase in the value of Homestead (residential) properties would lead to a hike in residential property taxes.
Taxes for residential properties will increase by 54 cents per $1,000 assessed valuation. Taxes for business properties will drop by $1.50 per $1,000 assessed valuation.
The roughly 2.8% hike in 2025 residential property taxes follows a 3.1% reduction in those taxes in 2024. An average home, assessed at $100,000, would see a property tax increase of $54.
A business property, assessed at $100,000, would see its property tax bill decrease by $150 in 2025. In 2024, the mayor’s budget increased Non-Homestead (business) property taxes by 72 cents per $1,000 in assessed valuation. It’s an increase of 1.8%.
“Property taxes over the last 10 years have averaged a 1% increase for Homestead and a 2.6% increase for Non-Homestead,” Restaino said. “The last five years, during our administration, it has increased an average of 1% for both. And the tax levy has not changed.”
The mayor said the largest expense in the budget is the cost of public safety, the police and fire departments, followed by the Department of Public Works. He also warned that the city’s operation of the downtown train station is leading to an annual loss of about $130,000.
Restaino said the city council will need to address that issue.
“You will see very little change in how departments are funding their services,” the mayor said.
The budget proposes spending $31 million on capital projects, with the largest portion of that, $14 million, going to improvements at municipal buildings and facilities. It also calls for equipment purchases for police, fire and public works and for repairs to 87th Street.