TROY, N.Y. -- With just days until the new year, Troy lawmakers are still trying to pass a balanced budget for the 2018 fiscal year. During a special meeting Friday, the city council finance committee passed a compromised solid waste disposal fee 5 to 4. The new measure will raise the fee from $29 to $160 per unit.

“It’s a very sad commentary of Troy government,” said Troy City Council President Carmella Mantello, who voted no.

The new proposal got the nod after Mayor Patrick Madden requested the special meeting. He presented the compromise measure this week.

“I give great credit to the council members who stepped up and saw their responsibly was to bring a compromised budget to the table,”  Madden said.

Raising the annual solid waste fee to $160 will generate just over $2.8 million for the 2018 fiscal year. However, that still leaves a $636,000 gap in the budget. Madden says cuts will be made to the general  fund in order to cover the difference. 

“It will cause some disruption, some pain, and it’ll set us back a bit," Madden said. "But it doesn't feel to us it will materially impact the core services.”

The cuts includes eliminating funding for the neighborhood improvement program, removing a position from the treasurer's office, and not filling the currently vacant city engineer position. 

Mantello says she's not happy with the process and calls it very unfortunate.

“What it did is gives the administration a year to come up with a plan so basically it’s a hidden tax,” Mantello said.

“It’s not something they wanted to do necessarily," Madden said. "The outcome wasn’t something I wanted necessarily. That’s called compromise, that’s called negotiating, that’s called leadership.”

The city council vote on the new measure next during a special council at 7 p.m. next Friday.