Following the voting and approval by Jamestown’s city council of the 2025 Executive Budget at the end of November, Mayor Kim Ecklund has now also finished her review, addressing a few concerns she has moving forward.

The city’s budget was approved following a few amendments made to it, reducing the property tax increase to 3.61%, resulting in an annual increase of $61.60 for a property assessed at $70,000, or approximately $5.13 per month. This adjustment represents a significant reduction from the original Executive Budget, presented by Ecklund at the beginning of October, which proposed a 7.79% tax increase, equating to $127.40 annually, or $10.62 per month, for the same assessed property value. These increases are based on property tax assessment values, not current market value or selling prices.

While Ecklund expressed her respect and thanks for the council’s efforts and hard work on the budget to ease the immediate financial burdens on city residents, she also expressed some concerns about some of the amendments made. These amendments include; a $649,152 reduction in Real Property Tax revenue, an increase in the Fund Balance Allocation from $700,000 to $825,000, drawing an additional $125,000 from city reserves, and utilization of an additional $500,000 in ARPA Loss Revenue funds, fully depleting ARPA resources allocated for contracted infrastructure and community projects.

“With the additional $500,000 in ARPA Loss Revenue funds, we completely drain that account that we have until the end of 2026 to use,” Ecklund said. “This also does not take capital projects into account, and we have some major ones coming up for our building and the police department.”

Ecklund added that while there is a contingency built in, the amendments also look to drain the General Fund Balance. The General Fund Balance is projected to be around $4.2 to $4.5 million, which is below the recommended minimum of $7 million–equivalent to two months of operating expenses.

Immediate concerns for Ecklund from the amendments for the short term include many significant cuts being made, including already having cuts to have no money for capital projects besides CHIPS funding. She said the city is relying on the department heads to focus on the direct needs of their departments, and for the council to continue to lobby for state funding and less unfunded mandates.

Looking at state funding, the AIM or Aid and Incentives for Municipalities funding from New York State has remained stagnant for over a decade, despite rising costs in goods, services, and operations. This lack of increase strains the city’s budget and limits its ability to manage growing expenses. In the 2024-25 Enacted State Budget, Jamestown did receive an additional one-time Temporary Municipal Assistance funding allocation of $530,940, but this is temporary and not guaranteed for future years. Without a permanent increase in AIM funding, the city would face a significant loss in revenue, compounding the financial challenges already present. Ecklund and the City Council have pushed for an increase in AIM funding through a recent resolution, but remain cautious and uncertain about any long-term relief from the state.

Other long-term financial concerns exist, but Ecklund said a big goal of hers from the beginning has been financial stability and that this has been a year of getting the financial house in order. She added that she believes that they are on the right path to doing that.

“It is positive to see some changes in the city, such as growth and new businesses,” Ecklund said. “There are many things to do and events, and many positive things going on. My hope for the future is that we continue to get our financial house in order and stabilized. I love this town and hate having to deliver a tax increase but we can’t move forward without knowing where we’re at.”

Ecklund thanked both the community members that have weighed in throughout the budget process and the work of the department heads and city council members. She recognized that they are doing their best, and as residents themselves, are in a difficult spot.

Ecklund has decided not to exercise her veto power, recognizing the City Council’s responsibility in making decisions on behalf of the community. However, she cautioned that the amendments to the budget only delay difficult decisions, creating even greater challenges for fiscal planning in 2026 and beyond. The Mayor reiterated that while immediate measures are necessary, the city must also focus on long-term solutions to ensure fiscal stability and safeguard Jamestown’s future prosperity

“I fully respect the City Council’s efforts to address our residents’ immediate needs,” Ecklund said. “However, we cannot ignore the fact that Jamestown is facing serious financial difficulties. While I do not wish to impose tax increases, the reality is that the city will be faced with even tougher decisions in the coming years. We cannot keep postponing these tough choices. Right now, we are applying a temporary fix to a much deeper issue, and it is time to face these challenges directly to prevent further escalation.”