Onondaga County has a new budget for 2025, and it maintains the county executive’s property tax cut without using reserves. But Tuesday’s final vote by the legislature didn’t come without attempts by the Democratic caucus to make some changes. They tried but failed to add more than $90 million to the $1.5 billion budget.
Of 20 proposed amendments, only six were voted on, and they were rejected by nearly all Republicans and even some fellow Democrats. Freshman legislator Maurice Brown proposed several of the amendments, and says he was aiming high with proposals to further address the housing crisis, lead paint and pipes, and transportation challenges.
“The things we have been doing are not working for my community," Brown said. "They're not working for the people I represent. So I think drastic intervention is needed. But my colleagues have mentioned that these are things they want to explore, and I want to take them at their word.”
For example, Brown proposed $60,000 to establish an athletic scholarship program. Republican floor leader Brian May doesn’t necessarily disagree, but says this and other amendments need to be vetted through the proper channels.
“There's a lot of merit in the idea. It certainly piqued my interest," May said. "I believe athletics are the most formative, formative things kids can do. I think he's on to something there. The problem is it was difficult to take on the notion today.”
May and his Republican colleagues were receptive to other, larger proposals from Democrats, and agreed to review them in committee. GOP lawmakers offered no amendments. In the end, the spending plan is largely unchanged from the county executive’s proposal, except for budget neutral items added by lawmakers earlier in the budget review process for sheriff’s vehicles and more staff for the board of elections.
