Syracuse Common Councilors have approved a $310 million city budget for the coming fiscal year that includes only a handful of their own changes. In the end, they agreed to keep the mayor’s property tax and water rate increases intact.
Beginning in July, the average city homeowner will start paying about $50 more per year to cover the rate hikes. Mayor Ben Walsh said officials don’t take that lightly, and that they’re trying to balance the city's fiscal challenges with those of residents. Walsh said the spending plan reflects the collective priorities of his office and the council, while also trying to close a persistent budget deficit.
“It allows us to deliver every service we deliver today," Walsh said. "Hopefully, many of those services even better, and it positions us for long term growth and sustainability as we continue to work through the fiscal challenges, which was why a property tax increase was warranted.”
The FY 23-24 budget approved by the Council today supports fiscal sustainability and a growing Syracuse. I commend the Council for its thorough review, including more than 30 public meetings with our city department leadership, prior to adopting the final budget. Full statement: pic.twitter.com/UQxcg2U6wK
— Ben Walsh (@BenWalsh44) May 8, 2023
Walsh said it’s only the second time he’s asked to raise property taxes in six years.
For their part, councilors made only four amendments to the mayor’s spending plan, adding just over $600,000 to the final tally. They range from security for city government offices to adding a position to the Citizen Review Board. Councilor Michael Greene, chair of the Common Council's finance committee, said this year’s budget process was relatively uneventful. No one spoke at last week’s public hearing or at the Monday meeting.
“It was definitely quieter than previous years," Greene said. "Certainly, whenever you do a tax increase, you expect to hear a lot, and to be candid, we didn't. I think people understand that there's increasing costs for services and there weren't any glaring issues that people saw as being unfair.”
This marks Greene’s last budget as councilor. He’s not running for re-election.
The spending plan also includes $521 million for the city school district, which received $40 million in additional state aid this year.
