The Binghamton City Council approved several amendments to the 2025 capital and departmental budgets and authorized federal housing-and-urban-development grants during its Oct. 8 business meeting.

Council members voted unanimously, 5-0, to adopt a series of introductory ordinances that move money between capital and departmental lines to cover equipment and vehicle purchases and facility repairs. The council also approved a resolution authorizing the mayor to sign agreements for approximately $700,000 in FY2025 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Councilors spent the most time debating whether some of the capital transfers should be treated as proceeds from borrowed funds (bond or BAN proceeds) and therefore subject to state comptroller rules governing allowable uses and useful-life accounting. Several council members said they wanted legal and comptroller confirmation before moving funds that might have come from borrowing. Council member Kavanaugh, who led the finance committee items, said he was comfortable voting but pledged to follow up with the comptroller. "I am comfortable, but I will also follow-up with the comptroller," Kavanaugh said during the meeting.

Public comment ahead of the votes raised related concerns about capital transfers and the aesthetics of a state pilot housing product. A resident who identified herself as a neighborhood property owner said the city’s capital budget transfers merited scrutiny and warned that certain modular housing units—described in public comment as a pilot product—“would not be happy with the placement” in some neighborhoods.

On the budget items, councilors and staff described the primary sources for the transfers. For the ordinance to amend the 2025 fire equipment lines (Intro. Ord. O25-59), discussion listed specific line-item sources being reallocated: $2,700 from Fire Station 1, $9,200 from merchant rental services, $8,000 from guardrails, $10,000 from general equipment repair, $90,000 from Special Investigations Unit proceeds, $58,000 from bridge improvements, $75,000 from floodwall and pipe inspection, and $3,400 from equipment repair auction funds. Council discussion identified the $90,000 as seized-proceeds (special investigations unit money) being repurposed for equipment.

Other ordinances the council passed included amendments for a parking-ramp utility/vehicle purchase (Intro. Ord. O25-60), a police prisoner-transport vehicle (O25-61), a DPW skid steer (O25-62), parks equipment and senior-center kitchen upgrades (O25-63), and sewer-fund line transfers (O25-64). Councilors said most of these transfers draw on previously budgeted lines rather than new borrowing. Corporation counsel and staff explained that items funded by borrowing usually have project codes attached and require additional bond-ordinance steps if the city changes the intended useful life or the use of proceeds.

Councilors agreed to confirm compliance with state comptroller rules and said corporation counsel would follow up. At one point a councilor suggested holding the package for two weeks until the comptroller and corporation counsel could confirm legality; Kavanaugh and other members ultimately moved forward but committed to follow-up checks. The council requested that the comptroller confirm which lines, if any, are tied to borrowing before final bonding.

Separately, the council adopted Introductory Resolution R25-61 to authorize the mayor to enter into agreements with local agencies for FY2025 CDBG and ESG funds. Planning staff explained the allocation totals "just over $700,000" in HUD funding that the city awards annually as a participating jurisdiction. Council members and staff warned that a federal government shutdown has frozen HUD disbursements, and that recipient organizations could face immediate cash-flow problems because they rely on federal reimbursements to proceed with projects. "The flow of all HUD funds is currently frozen because the federal government is shut down," a council member said during discussion, noting that the pause could delay local projects and reimbursements.

The council also handled a procedural motion to reorder the agenda so second-read legislation would follow first-read items; that motion passed 5-0. The body could not vote on a separate item requiring six affirmative votes (a sale of city lots, Intro. Ord. O25-57) because only five members were present; members said the measure will be carried to the next business meeting when a six-member quorum is expected.

Votes at a glance:
Intro. Ord. O25-59 — Amend 2025 fire capital budget for fire equipment: motion to pass; mover: Council member Kavanaugh; second: not specified; roll call: Asmo Aye, Kavanaugh Aye, Middleton Aye, Murray Aye, Hotchkiss Aye; outcome: approved, 5-0. (Sources: meeting discussion listing line transfers and roll call.)
Intro. Ord. O25-60 — Amend 2025 ramps budget for vehicle purchase (utility/plow vehicle): motion to pass; mover: Council member Kavanaugh; second: not specified; roll call: unanimous Aye (5-0); outcome: approved, 5-0.
Intro. Ord. O25-61 — Amend 2025 police budget for police prisoner-transport vehicle: motion to pass; mover: Council member Kavanaugh; second: not specified; roll call: unanimous Aye (5-0); outcome: approved, 5-0.
Intro. Ord. O25-62 — Amend 2025 DPW capital budget for skid steer purchase: motion to pass; mover: Council member Kavanaugh; second: not specified; roll call: unanimous Aye (5-0); outcome: approved, 5-0.
Intro. Ord. O25-63 — Amend 2025 capital fund for parks purchases and senior-center kitchen upgrades: motion to pass; mover: Council member Kavanaugh; second: not specified; roll call: unanimous Aye (5-0); outcome: approved, 5-0.
Intro. Ord. O25-64 — Amend 2025 sewer fund budget for over-budget line items (transfers within sewer fund): motion to pass; mover: Council member Kavanaugh; second: not specified; roll call: unanimous Aye (5-0); outcome: approved, 5-0.
Intro. Res. R25-61 — Authorize mayor to enter agreements for FY2025 CDBG and ESG funds (HUD): motion to adopt; mover: Council member Rathbone; second: not specified; roll call: unanimous Aye (5-0); outcome: approved, 5-0.
Procedural motion to move second-read legislation after first-read legislation: motion passed, roll call 5-0.

Council members said staff will follow up with the comptroller and corporation counsel to confirm that each transfer complies with bonding and state comptroller guidance before any borrowing or bond ordinances are finalized. The council adjourned after communications and scheduling notes; the sale of city lots requiring six affirmative votes was deferred to the next business meeting because the body lacked the six-member threshold to act.