March 25, 2025
The City of Hornell Common Council met on Monday, March 24, in a special meeting following public hearings to review budgets for the upcoming 2025-2026 fiscal year. The Council unanimously approved the proposed budgets for both the General and Water Funds, with no increases to the current tax rate. This keeps the City of Hornell one of the most affordable communities in the State of New York.
During an extensive review of the budgets, Mayor John Buckley reiterated the financial challenges facing municipalities, including rising costs for materials, supplies, and utilities. “We continue to see increases across the board, from fuel to building materials, along with higher energy costs and rising chemical expenses for our Water Treatment Plant and Water Pollution Control Plant,” stated Mayor Buckley. “In addition, we are now seeing greater impacts from increased costs in personal services, retirement, and insurance.”
Acknowledging the collaborative efforts that led to responsible financial planning, Mayor Buckley commended the Department Heads and the City Chamberlain. “I appreciate the hard work of our department heads, employees, and our City Chamberlain in ensuring that we continue to provide essential services efficiently and affordably.”
City Chamberlain Michele Smith highlighted the importance of balancing fiscal responsibility with meeting community needs. “We have worked to ensure the budget remains stable while continuing to invest in our City,” she stated.
The Council also approved increasing the annual City garbage collection fee from $95 to $105 due to rising costs associated with garbage services through Lippincott’s Rubbish, as well as increased tipping fees at the landfill. Even with this adjustment, Hornell’s garbage collection fee remains significantly lower than comparable municipalities. Many surrounding municipalities do not assist with providing garbage services, and instead require residents to contract with private haulers. Others, such as the City of Corning and the City of Olean, use pay-per-bag, sticker or tote systems. Corning requires residents to purchase blue bags for garbage pickup, with a current cost of $2.25 per 30-gallon bag. Olean offers a sticker or tote system, where residents pay $3.28 per 30-gallon bag or $27.17 monthly for a 96-gallon tote. The City of Elmira’s service is most similar to Hornell’s, allowing six 30-pound bags per pickup, but at a significantly higher annual fee of $365 per unit.
“With the increase to $105 per year, this averages out to just $2.02 per week for the pickup of five 30-gallon bags and occasional large items,” stated Mayor Buckley. “Garbage collection is an essential service that directly impacts the cleanliness of our community and quality of life for our residents. We are fortunate to have an affordable, reliable system, and Lippincott’s Rubbish continues to provide outstanding service.”
Finance Committee Chairman Dan Warriner emphasized the importance of maintaining financial responsibility while ensuring critical services remain strong. “The City has worked hard to keep costs as low as possible while continuing to provide high-quality services,” said Warriner. “Even with rising expenses, Hornell remains one of the most affordable communities in the region, and this budget reflects our commitment to responsible financial management.”
