By JIMMY LAWTON

OGDENSBURG – Ogdensburg City Council is expected to accept the preliminary budget Monday and will then begin tweaking and reviewing the document over the next several weeks before adopting a final version in December.

The preliminary budget is a working document, which will likely change drastically the official budget over the next few weeks.

On Monday the council is also expected to set a public hearing for Dec. 5 that will allow the public to comment on the budget prior to final approval.

The tentative proposal issued by Ogdensburg City Manger Sarah Purdy recently includes borrowing $1 million, increasing the tax levy by more than $500,000 and calls for cutting services.

A second option presented in the budget proposal would forgo the borrowing, and instead raises the levy by $1.5 million.

Under the first option the city tax rate would rise 10.5 percent from $17.36 to $19.20 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. Purdy said this will be about $183 more in taxes per year for the average homeowner.

If the city forgoes borrowing $1 million the tax rate would rise 31.8 percent to $22.89 per $1,000 of assessed valuation.

The proposal would reduce funding for the public library and Remington museum by $29,340.

To better prepare for possible problems down the road, the new budget would grow the contingency frond by $171,719.

Other major expenditure increases in the general fund include public safety, which would rise by $360,729 and public works, which would increase by $164,590. That increase in the general fund is partially due to a shift from police and fire pay, which was apparently coming in part from water and sewer fees.

On Wednesday city council held a review of the Department of Public Works budget. Reviews will continue throughout the month as follows.

A budget review of Parks and Recreation, City Clerk and the assessor will be held immediately following Monday’s city council meeting.

On Nov. 15 a review of police, manager, council, non-department revenues will be held at 7 p.m. at city hall.

A review of the fire and planning department budget will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday at city hall.

On Monday Nov. 28 the council will hold a budget review session to discuss the Remington Museum, Ogdensburg Chamber of Commerce, Public Library, and other contract agencies.