Ogdensburg council approves $287,507 loader purchase for DPW

The Ogdensburg City Council authorized the purchase of a Caterpillar loader for the city’s Department of Public Works at a net cost of $287,507 after a trade-in. The purchase will be funded partly with additional Temporary Municipal Assistance money and partly with Consolidated Highway Improvement Program rollover funds.

The city received $396,824 in additional TMA funding. About $144,324 will be directed to the loader, while most of the remaining assistance was approved for a roof replacement at the Ogdensburg Fire Department. The city will receive $17,000 for its current 2012 loader, which DPW Director Shane Brown said was not worth repairing.

The council’s resolution describes the TMA money as one-time, nonrecurring funding because the state labels it temporary. The resolution says that type of funding should be used for expenses that do not recur in future years.

The city’s preliminary 2027 budget also came before the council. The proposed $22 million budget includes a tax rate of $15.36 per $1,000 of assessed property value. The rate was reduced by 17 cents per $1,000 at the council’s previous meeting, and the budget is expected to be considered for approval Nov. 23.

The council also accepted the city’s 2025 audit and approved adding $1,380,794.23 in unpaid charges to 2027 property tax bills. The amount includes delinquent school district taxes, water charges, sewer charges and miscellaneous municipal charges.

The city’s Mayor and City Council information, along with meeting materials and updates, are available through the City of Ogdensburg website.