The adoption of the Watertown City Budget typically is an uneventful agenda item for the City Council, but this year a significant change will be proposed by City Council President Mark Siders.
At the end of the third and final Fiscal Year 2026 Budget hearing on June 3, Sideris said he plans to ask the City Council to consider removing the Assistant City Manager for Finance position from the City administration and move the funds to the Fire Department. The proposal will take place at the June 10 City Council meeting
“I’m going to be … basically removing this position — the Manager (George Proakis) and I have been discussing this five times a day for the last two weeks — and moving the money into the Fire Department budget to accelerate the operation or the beginning staffing of the second ambulance, which was a major issue for the City Council, and we all approved moving forward,” Sideris said.
Sideris said he does not believe the position, currently filled by Ari Sky, has been working out.
“I want to stress that this is not a reflection on the City Manager or people that he’s got in place,” Sideris said. “The Council authorized the Manager to create a position of the City Assistant Manager for Finance, and over the last three budget sessions I don’t believe that it’s been working to what we thought it was going to be working.”
During the final budget hearing City Councilors have the chance to pass on each department budget. If they do not pass the budget is approved as presented by the City Manager. The Assistant Manager for Finance falls under the City Manager’s budget.
“I just want the Council to consider my potential recommendation, and I wanted the Council to be aware of what I am going to be doing so that we don’t do this next Tuesday, and for it to be a surprise,” Sideris said.
The City Council meeting will be on Tuesday, June 10 at 7 p.m. See the agenda here.
Thank you, Mr. Sideris. I wish you success with this endeavor.
May someone elaborate as to why the Assistant City Manager position is not working out?
I’m on record for eliminating unnecessary positions to pay for necessary positions. So, I have to support at least the idea of Council President Sideris’s proposal. I hope he considers this same approach for future funding squeezes.
“The Council authorized the Manager to create a position of the City Assistant Manager for Finance, and over the last three budget sessions I don’t believe that it’s been working to what we thought it was going to be working.”
How republican of him. No clarity what so ever.
Is the position unnecessary? Will it be requested to be filled again in the future?
I don’t appreciate wasting my time with these useless statements.
It creates a lack of confidence in government. Please don’t DOGE us.
Here’s another idea,
Eliminate the investment in charging stations prepossessed (or approved?) for main st. and or parking lots.
There should be no public investment in electric charging stations until there is a universal charging standard for all electric transportation devices. Also, as time goes on and batteries improve, there will be less need for these stations so demand will be less.