Marino Responds To Mayor’s Budget Proposal

Utica Councilman and Mayoral candidate Joe Marino is responding to Mayor Robert Palmieri's 2019-20 budget proposal.

The $71.8 million spending plan released on Monday comes with a two-percent property tax decrease.

Marino, who's Chair of the Common Council Finance Committee, says the taxpayers of Utica are smarter than to fall for this political trick.

He says for every dollar the City stole from residents last year, they’re giving back 2 cents in an election year.

Last year's budget increased taxes by nearly seven-percent.

Marino says it's by far the most insulting budget he's ever seen and it does nothing to protect the future of the city.

He says Uticans cannot afford political "yo-yo" budgets