CITIZENS REVIEW PANEL CHOPS AWAY AT SPENDING PLAN.(CAPITAL REGION)

Byline: BECHETTA JACKSON Staff writer

Cohoes A citizens review committee formed four months ago to make recommendations to city officials on various issues is so dissatisfied with the city's 1998 draft budget that members have come up with a number of savings suggestions of their own.

While taxes would go up 24.4 percent and spending would total $12.5 million this year under the first draft of the city's budget, the committee -- after having reviewed the preliminary general fund budget -- made note of additional cuts that, if implemented, would lower the 1998 spending plan to $12 million and the property tax hike to 12.7 percent.

``After …