In a move to address a budget deficit, the Anacortes City Council voted on Monday, Nov. 17, to raise its utility tax by 2%, freeze the city’s cash reserve fund for 2026, and increase project funding for a road upgrade at 12th Street and Commercial Avenue.

Schenectady is bracing for a $6 million shortfall in its 2026 budget now that the federal ARPA funds that stabilized last year’s plan are no longer available. Mayor Gary McCarthy has responded by freezing city hiring, marking the first step in confronting what could be a difficult budget process.

As a significant deficit casts a shadow over Buffalo’s finances, city leaders are racing against a looming deadline to finalize the 2025-2026 budget. The urgent measures taken now will shape the city’s fiscal future.