The Jamestown City Council has officially approved a local law to allow them to exceed the tax cap levy limit of two percent, even while the time for the official budget process in the city remains months away.

During a public hearing held on the local law before the monthly voting session on Monday, members of the public addressed concerns regarding the financial future of the city, since the city is already putting this local law into place. Council members said that the establishment of the ability to exceed the two percent limit is just to be prepared.

“That two percent law has been in effect for so long and I think it’s redundant that the state Assembly and state Senate don’t look at that and increase that percentage so that it’s more aligned with what the costs are that are happening here across the board, not only for our city government but our personal budgets as well,” Councilman Bill Reynolds, R-Ward 5, said.

A small typo in the local law in regards to the date was noted, where in section three it states the law will go into effect on Jan 1, 2025, which was then amended to 2026. Other local municipalities budget tax caps from last year were discussed, including some that went into a double digit increase. Council President Tony Dolce said that while some saw this significant increase, Jamestown’s tax levy increase came in at around 3.4%, and they do not anticipate a double digit increase for the 2026 budget.

“This exercise is really only to make sure we have the ability if we need to raise it more than two percent, we’re going through the procedure to do that,” Dolce said. “I think I speak for everybody on the council when I say it would be in our best interest not to do that, but if we have to do that we will. … A double digit increase I think would be way out of line, and would not be acceptable to this council.”

Dolce said this will allow them to raise it over the two percent limit only if needed, but for something smaller like a 2.1% increase or like last year’s 3.4%. As the city gets closer to budget time, he added they will do their best to try to make sure they do not have to do that.

Councilman Russell Bonfiglio, R-At Large, said that no matter what the potential increase would be, the problem they face like everywhere else is that the prices of things are increasing.

“The problem is, like everybody else in our situation, everything is going up,” Bonfiglio said. “Wages are going up. … I just think we need to explain to the people whatever we do, why we do it.”

The council officially approved the local law to establish a tax cap levy limit override during the voting session which followed the public hearing.