Schenectady Council Cuts Proposed Tax Hike
City Council reduced a proposed 42% tax levy increase to 14% as the city faces a $15 million shortfall.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in City Hall
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Schenectady residents thanked City Council on Monday night for reducing a proposed 42% tax levy increase to 14%. More than a dozen people spoke during public comment at City Hall, where the council also adopted a new budget.
Why it matters
The city faces a $15 million shortfall, and the revised levy directly affects how much Schenectady property owners will pay. Residents described the budget process as rushed and opaque, and a public hearing on the tax levy has not yet been held.
The council cut the proposed tax levy increase from 42% to 14% to address a $15 million city shortfall. A public hearing on the levy has not been scheduled, and the council has not yet set a date to revisit the removed state aid and Rivers Casino revenue resolutions.
The players
Schenectady City Council
The seven-member legislative body that adopted the city's new budget and cut the proposed tax levy increase.
Rivers Casino
The Schenectady casino whose revenue the council sought to increase for the city through one of the removed resolutions.
The details
Two resolutions were on Monday night's agenda: one requesting more state aid and one seeking more Rivers Casino revenue for Schenectady. Both were removed because the council was not prepared to discuss them and will be taken up at a later date.
Timeline
Budget discussions wrapped up the week before the Monday meeting.
Residents spoke during public comment at City Hall on Monday, November 9, 2026.
The two removed resolutions will be discussed at a later date yet to be set.
The council plans to function as a true council through the rest of 2026 and into 2027.
Political Context
New York's property tax cap limits how much municipalities can raise levies each year without state override. The 42% proposal and the council's cut to 14% both have to be read against that statutory ceiling, which shapes how much room the city has to close its shortfall.
Property owners in Schenectady will see the council's revised 14% levy increase rather than the proposed 42%, which affects the tax bill they receive. Residents who want to weigh in on the levy can attend the public hearing once it is scheduled.
The takeaway
Cuts to proposed tax increases depend on council members being prepared to act at the meeting itself, as the removed resolutions show. Residents who follow the budget can track the public hearing date and the rescheduled resolutions.
What happens next
A public hearing on the tax levy has not yet been held, and the two removed resolutions will be discussed at a later date.
Further reading
For more on local decisions like this, see City Hall.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WRGB.
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