Albany lawmakers grill top city finance experts as budget looms

August 20, 2026 - 18:55

City council members spent nearly three hours on Monday grilling the top financial officers over the mid-year budget report, with several lawmakers voicing frustration over vague projections and rising overtime costs. The session came just weeks before the council must approve a final spending plan for the fourth quarter.

Budget Director Margaret Chen, along with the city's financial advisor and the head of administrative services, took turns at the podium. They walked through revenue shortfalls in parking fees and a slower-than-expected return of hotel taxes. But the real friction came when council members asked for specific line-item details on public works and police overtime, which have already exceeded half of their annual allotments.

Councilwoman Rita Alvarez pushed back on the administration's explanation that the overruns were due to storm cleanup and special event coverage. She asked for a breakdown by department and by month, saying the current report lumps too much together. "We cannot vote on a budget based on averages," she said. "We need to see where the money actually went."

The finance team promised a revised schedule of expenditures by the end of the week. They also noted that the general fund balance remains stable, though they warned that unspent capital project funds are being repurposed to cover day-to-day operations, a practice they called "not sustainable" beyond this fiscal year.

Council President Tom Okafor ended the session by reminding everyone that the next public hearing is set for the first Tuesday of next month. He said he expects a cleaner, more detailed report by then, and he hinted that the council may hold a special workshop if the numbers still do not add up. Several residents in the audience nodded in agreement as the meeting adjourned.