Board of Estimate & Contract:
RESOLVED, that an Ordinance adopted by the City Council on December 10, 2025, and signed by the Mayor on December 11, 2025, authorizing the Adoption of an Austerity Budget Framework and Establishing Centralized Expenditure Controls for Travel, Membership Dues, Training, and Education; be, and the same is hereby approved.
City Council:
AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE ADOPTION
OF AN AUSTERITY BUDGET FRAMEWORK AND
ESTABLISHING CENTRALIZED EXPENDITURE
CONTROLS FOR TRAVEL, MEMBERSHIP DUES,
TRAINING, AND EDUCATION
Whereas, in correspondence dated December 2, 2025, the Comptroller formally requested authorization for the City of Mount Vernon to adopt an Austerity Budget Framework for the upcoming fiscal year. Under this framework, departmental expenditures shall be limited to essential and mission-critical operations necessary to maintain core municipal services. All non-essential or discretionary spending shall be curtailed unless expressly authorized under the procedures established herein; and
Whereas, the City of Mount Vernon continues to face persistent revenue shortfalls, including declining sales and use tax receipts, and prior fiscal operations have failed to realize projected revenues; and
Whereas, the Comptroller's Office has recommended the implementation of an Austerity Budget Framework for the upcoming fiscal year to ensure that departmental spending is limited to essential and mission-critical functions necessary to maintain core municipal services; and
Whereas, the Comptroller further recommends removing individual departmental budget lines for Travel, Membership Dues, and Training and Education, and consolidating these categories into a single centralized budget line under the oversight of the Board of Estimate and Contract, in order to strengthen fiscal discipline and provide a more transparent and efficient method for tracking discretionary expenditures; and
Whereas, the City Council...
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