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Ithaca Common Council passes 2025 budget

This budget season has been defined by concerns over rising taxes and possible city service losses.
Aurora Berry
/
WSKG News
This budget season has been defined by concerns over rising taxes and possible cuts to city services.

The Ithaca Common Council passed the city’s 2025 budget Wednesday night. The final budget came out to nearly $108 million, up from around $101 million the previous year.

The new budget raises the tax levy, or the amount of money collected from property taxes, by over 8%. That increase will translate into higher taxes for many property owners.

Nine council members voted in favor of the budget. Alderpersons Margaret Fabrizio and David Shapiro voted against it.

Fabrizio said she could not vote in favor of a significant increase to property taxes.

“I really see us in a crisis moment as a city because five years ago, 10 years ago, people said it was expensive to live here, but it was way more manageable than it is now,” Fabrizio said before the budget vote.

Alderperson Clyde Lederman voted in favor of the budget, although he said he was also disappointed with tax increases.

“I think it represents unfortunate costs that we need to bear," Lederman said, adding that the costs are "necessary to support our staff and to support our communities."

Council members submitted five amendments before the meeting began. None of them were approved, with three being withdrawn by their authors and another being disqualified for procedural reasons.

The final amendment submitted before the meeting, which would have delayed funding for seven police officer positions, also did not pass.