Seneca spending to exceed $41 million

No property tax increase is planned by Seneca during the next year. But its sewer customers are to pay five percent more to help Seneca pay for the replacement of six outdated lift stations. City Administrator Greg Dietterick said it’s important for the old lift stations to be replaced for sanitary and workers safety. The mayor and council last night gave the first of two required readings to a half dozen separate budgets. As the proposed budgets stand, Mayor Dan Alexander said, the budgets are balanced—meaning the expenses square with the revenues. The budgets, when added together, will place total Seneca spending during 2015-16 in excess of $41 million. Leading the way, as always, is what Seneca spends for water, sewer, and electric power services. The utilities budget is pegged at $28.9 million, while general spending is figured at $10.3 million. Other Seneca budgets include what the city spends for bus service and on its Facilities Corporation, which manages Seneca’s new industrial park, the Seneca Commerce Park near Utica.