Citizen's Report: June 2025 Corning City Council Meeting
- sterlinglynn26
- Jun 25
- 7 min read
Citizen’s Report
on
A Meeting of the Corning City Council
June 2, 2025
The Council for the City of Corning, New York held its regulAar meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Council Chambers, Civic Center Plaza, Corning, New York.
All Councilmembers attended the meeting. Counting City of Corning employees, 18 members of the public were in the audience.
New Business – Resolution to Override Tax Levy Limit
Without discussion the Council unanimously adopted Local Law #2 of 2025 to increase the tax levy over the limit set by New York State statute.
Background:
If, after completing all processes to adopt the budget, the Council decides to increase a property tax levy beyond the statutory level which is set by a formula contained in NYS General Municipal Law §3-c, (the “tax cap”), the Council must adopt a local law to increase the tax levy.
One step in the process of adopting a local law is to hold a public hearing. On May 19, 2025, the Council held a public hearing on proposed Public Law #2 of 2025 at which time there were no comments from the public.
The next step in the process is consideration of the local law at a Council meeting. Then after adopting the local law, the City Clerk files a certified copy of it with the New York Secretary of State.
Once filed, the local law becomes effective, overriding the property tax cap without need for a city-wide popular vote.
New Business – Approving the FY 2026 budget.
The Council unanimously approved the FY 2026 budget for the City of Corning as follows:
Background:
The approved budget for FY 2026 results in an approximately 3.28% general fund tax rate increase which equates to an increase of $3.40 per month on a $120,000 home. There is, however, a need for a capital improvement bond in the amount of $1,938,000 to finance several large capital expenditures, which, among other things, includes replacing the boilers at the wastewater treatment plant that recently failed inspection and to phase out the hazardous chlorine gas disinfection system.
You can read a letter of May 1, 2025, written by City Manager Mark, Ryckman to the Council, explaining the FY 2026 budget, here:
The Council held a public hearing on the proposed FY 2026 budget on May 19, 2025. This was after it held three separate budget workshops - on May 6, May 12, and May 14, 2025. There were no members of the public present at any of the workshops, nor did any speak at the budget hearing.
The FY 2026 budget numbers show an increase in all categories of expense and income compared to the FY 2025 budget which was as follows:
Background: The FY 2024 budget was as follows:
Deputy Mayor Clark, Councilmember Hunt, and Mayor Boland congratulated the City Manager, his staff, and the city’s department heads for creating a reasonable budget that overrides the tax cap in a limited way.
Deputy Mayor Clark and Mayor Boland acknowledged that this budget season posed many challenges due to rising costs, including increases for mandated pension coverage and healthcare benefits. At the same time, the state of New York has not permanently increased its Aid and Incentives for Municipalities (AIM) budget, leaving it 7.5% below the level it was at in FY2009. Year after year, the City of Corning has stayed under the tax cap. However, this year it reached the point of either cutting services or raising taxes to keep them. This budget supports the level of city services which its residents deserve while at the same time dealing with the added burden of inflation and increased costs over which there is no local control.
New Business – Approving the FY 2026 Capital Plan
The Council unanimously approved the FY 2026 part of the five-year Capital Improvement Plan proposed by the City Manager. The entire five-year Capital Improvement Plan, including the approved FY 2026 portion, is available here:
New Business – Approving Increases in Water Rates
The Council unanimously approved new and increased water rates for FY 2026, effective on July 1, 2025, as follows:
Background: The FY 2025 water rates adopted to be effective July 1, 2024, were as follows:
Background: Prior to the increase last year, the city had not increased water rates in seven years. The increase is to the base fee for water services that amounts to $2 per month for regular residential meters. These rate increases are to meet the operational, maintenance and capital needs of the City’s water system.
New Business – Levy on Members of the Business Development District:
Adopted a tax levy on members of the Business Development District as follows:
Background: The City of Corning has adopted a Business Improvement District (BID) which the Corning Intown Business Management District (CIBMD), operates. The CIBMD is a 501(c)3 organization created to promote and enhance Corning’s downtown area.
New Business – Mayor’s Term of office
By a vote of 7-2 (Councilmembers Hunt and Resue voting “No”) the Council established July 7, 2025, at 6:15 p.m. in Council Chambers as the date, time and place of a public hearing on proposed Local Law #3 of 2025 to Amend the City Charter to change the length of term of the Mayor from two to four years effective on the date of filing with the New York State Secretary of State after a positive vote at the general election in November 2027.
Background: On March 7, 2022, the Corning City Council created a Citizens “Representation” Committee (Citizens Committee) of five Corning residents to (among other things):
“Evaluate and recommend to the City Council any changes to the Mayor’s Term of office.”
The Citizens Committee recommended to the City Council that:
The term of Office of the Mayor be four years, effective for the Mayor’s term starting in January of 2026, and that a Local Law be developed for City Council consideration to change the City Charter to effect these changes.
At its meeting on August 7, 2023, the Corning City Council approved a resolution asking that the City Attorney develop a local law to implement the Citizens Committee’s recommendation.
Proposed Public Law #7 of 2023 was the result. This Public law was before the electorate at the general election on November 5. 2024. It asked the question of whether the Charter of the City of Corning should be amended to change the length of the mayor’s term from two years to four years.
The electorate answered, “No.” The ballot measure failed by a vote of 2171 to 2580.
Before it is effective the proposed Local Law #3 of 2025 will be subject to a referendum of the electorate in November of 2027.
During Council debate on this issue, Councilmembers Hunt and ReSue spoke against the measure. They felt that the proposed Local Law #3 itself and starting the public hearing process on it is inappropriate after receiving an answer by vote of the people not to extend the term. They felt it was disrespectful to the electorate to bring it up again.
Councilmembers Clark and Hyde and Mayor Boland spoke in favor of the measure. All three stated that a great many people had spoken to them, after the election, declaring that they did not know when they voted that the measure was to align the mayor’s term with that of councilmembers. Another group of voters said that they had misunderstood the measure, thinking that it would merely extend Mayor Boland’s current term. Another group of voters apparently had no information about the measure at all so voted no.
In reply, Councilmembers Hunt and Resue declared that no one had talked to them about the measure after the election. They said it was disrespectful to claim that the electorate was uninformed.
Mayor Boland and Councilmember Paterson replied that they would like to hear what the people say at the public hearing, which is what this resolution would set, and that they value the chance to have civic discussion on the issue.
New Business – The Council Unanimously:
• Approved a request by Corning OKA Corporation, dba Oka Asian at 84 East Market Street, to waive the 30-day municipal notification requirement on the Corporation’s application for an On-Premises Alcoholic Beverage License from the State of New York.
Councilmember ReSue asked for the basis of the 30-day notification period as it is routinely waived. City staff will explore the background to this provision.
Approved reappointment of Richard Puccio, Jan Harvey, and Rober Avvampato to the Loan Committee for a term expiring June 30, 2027
Approved reappointment of Rick Maxa to the Historic Preservation Commission for a term expiring June 30, 2030.
Visitor’s Comments
A citizen wanted to know his rights as a property owner when a neighboring home has been significantly damaged, is abandoned and unrepaired and is, he feels, a hazard. Mayor Boland promised a written answer.
Hilda Lando, Steuben County Legislator representing the City of Corning:
Said that, as Chair of the Steuben County Landbank, she can report that the Landbank is looking at the house of which the previous speaker spoke as a candidate for removal as a part of the Landbank’s mission.
Congratulated the City Council and staff on its FY 2026 budget.
Announced that Steuben County hired 12 correction officers but five have returned to state employment. The county has vacancies again.
Mentioned that Steuben County has taken over the Hammondsport Ambulance service. But because of a lack of trained volunteer personnel, it is taking over only those services where it is necessary to keep proper coverage within the county. It cannot take over all the ambulance services in the county.
Advised people to text 333111 and hit “Steuben.” It will enroll the person’s telephone in the new county alert system for emergencies.
Reported that FEMA has decided that all the levies in Steuben County lack proper documentation to maintain safety ratings. The county is working with stakeholders to address the problem.
Announced that a SWIMS grant award for $10,000 for municipal pools is coming to the City of Corning,
Joe Tobia, the other Steuben County Legislator representing the City of Corning:
Gave an update on mobile crisis counseling. Two positions are open for mobile crisis counselors in Hornell and Corning. He is hopeful that clearly advertising the positions as staff jobs working with the cities’ police departments will encourage applicants.
There followed lengthy commentary by members of the public on Proposed Local Law #3 pertaining the mayor’s term of office. The comments mirrored and expanded upon, sometimes using disrespectful language, the threads of the arguments made earlier in the evening by Councilmembers.
Announcements – Mayor and Councilmembers
An active search is underway for the new executive director of the Gaffer District. The district has also fielded three new directors: MacKenzie Myers owner of K-Rae Salon, Sean Lukasik owner of Creagent Marketing, and Milicent Ruffin who is Division Vice President of Corning Community Impact and Investment.
The meeting adjourned at 7:12 p.m.
NOTES
The writer of this report has presented items in an order different than the order at the meeting.
The writer has, except as specifically noted, amended or cut comments and attribution for them. Unless the writer uses quotation marks anything reported is not verbatim.
For brevity, the writer has not included all items on the agenda of the meeting.
The writer has added material for context or clarity and where it is extensive, is in italics and labeled “Background.”.
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