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Decker is seeking to double his salary from $20,000 to $40,000 in next year's budget, increasing the tax levy by .4 percent. Faggione said this is the last thing Port Jervis needs to do.
"This budget will be the fourth in a row in which the city has pierced the tax cap," Faggione said. "With an approved 2018 budget, taxes on the citizens of Port Jervis will have gone up nearly 30 percent in four years. Combine that with water bill increases and sewer fees - the last thing to do is increase the salary of the position of part-time mayor."
Decker said Faggione has not attended any budget hearings or council meetings where the budget was discussed and has accused him of ignoring other issues facing Port Jervis.
"Mr. Faggione has never sat down with me, ever, to discuss our city budget," Decker said. "He clearly has no idea what our budget entails as well as history (financially) with eight zero percent increases over the last 25 years. Mr. Faggione has told others that I am a 'tax and spend liberal mayor'- not to my face of course, but I have a recording of it, all the while he tells me “great things are happening in our city.”
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