“This budget reduces the tax burden on our residents, it reduces departmental spending, it maintains a right-sized workforce and it increases and diversifies revenues,” Schnirman said, “which is such an important thing for us to have a stable and healthy financial situation here in the city going forward.”

The comptroller’s office, however, raised some “minor” concerns in its first budget review, before last Tuesday’s vote. The state said that it believes that general fund revenues for refuse and garbage charges, and water and sewer fund revenues for metered water sales and sewer rents, may be overestimated. “In addition,” the review stated, “we believe the general fund expenditures for overtime salaries may be underestimated.”

“They’re looking at what the city is doing with its revenues and expenditures, and whereas [the budget] may be balanced, there are some red flags that are raised in that review,” said Brian Butrey, a spokesman for the comptroller’s office. “Based on the findings in this review, they are minor in nature. but they are something the city is going to want to pay attention to going forward — especially when you’re talking about the potential for underestimating revenues. [The administration’s] attentiveness is well-noted and appropriate.”

Schnirman discussed the comptroller’s review at a pre-vote budget presentation last week, emphasizing that the city has already addressed, or is addressing, those concerns.

The state said that overtime salaries are budgeted at $2.2 million, but those costs have averaged more than $2.9 million for the last five fiscal years. Though the state said that “officials have indicated that their intention is to better monitor overtime costs and to hold department heads more accountable for remaining within budget limits,” the comptroller also wrote, “City officials must ensure that the necessary internal controls are in place and operating effectively in order for these cost savings to be realized.”