Ogdensburg budget proposal calls for higher property tax rate

Ogdensburg's proposed 2027 city budget would raise the city property tax rate by about 2.3% and increase the total tax levy by 3.82%. The roughly $22 million proposal would maintain current staffing and services, based on City Manager Fonda Chronis' presentation to the City Council.

The tax rate would increase from about $15.16 to $15.42 per $1,000 of assessed value. The levy would rise to $5,691,490, an increase of about $209,310 from 2026. For a home assessed at $97,000, the city property tax increase would be about $34.10.

The proposal also calls for fixed residential water charges to fall by $20 annually and sewer charges to fall by $60. City estimates presented with the proposal show the combined annual cost of taxes and utilities for a $97,000 home decreasing by $45.90. About 86% of parcels are expected to see a net decrease in combined government costs.

Costs behind the proposal

Employee benefits, including retirement and health insurance, would increase 19% under the proposal. Benefits would account for 29.9% of spending, compared with 26.5% in the 2026 budget. Chronis said those rates are not controlled by the city.

Public safety would account for $8.78 million, or 58.6% of General Fund spending, covering police, fire and code enforcement. The budget projects $3.25 million in sales-tax revenue, which is $400,000 more than the 2026 budgeted amount.

Mayor Michael Tooley has said the city’s five-year plan calls for reducing the levy by $117,000 annually. The city met that target during the first two years, while the proposed 2027 increase would move in the opposite direction. The city’s 2025 adopted budget also set a goal of reducing the levy to 80% of the constitutional tax limit.

The city budget is separate from the Ogdensburg City School District’s 2026-27 budget and should not be combined with the city levy when comparing tax bills.

Hospital concerns add local context

The proposed budget comes as Ogdensburg faces uncertainty involving Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center. North Star Health Alliance cut more than 100 employees at the hospital in January 2026, and North Star and its affiliates filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection the following month.

North Star announced in July that it would seek state approval to end labor and delivery services at Claxton-Hepburn. The City Council opposed the plan. Labor and delivery services were temporarily diverted Sept. 22 because of a pediatric coverage gap, which North Star said was separate from the planned closure. In late September, attorneys told a Syracuse bankruptcy court that a closure plan had been filed with the state Department of Health but had not been approved. The plan could result in services ending at the end of November if approved.

The proposed city budget and the hospital’s financial situation are separate matters.

Budget schedule

City Council budget workshops are scheduled for Oct. 14 and Oct. 21, 2026, at 6 p.m. in the City Council chambers. The preliminary budget must be adopted by Oct. 31. A public hearing is scheduled for Nov. 14, and the final budget must be adopted by Dec. 1.

Council members can still change the proposal during the budget process. Updates are posted through the City of Ogdensburg.