Syracuse residents and the Walsh administration are trying to make sense of the unexpected and severe budget cuts approved by common councilors. The across-the-board cuts are deeper for some departments than others. Department of public works commissioner Jeremy Robinson said things like trash collection, plowing, sewers and road repair are at risk.
“Our department is going to get a 9% budget cut when our budget stayed flat for the last two years," Robinson said. "You're cutting a department that delivers city services every single day.”
Code enforcement faces a nine percent cut. Deputy Commissioner Jake Dishaw said they work hand-in-hand with DPW.
“I don't know how we're going to pick up trash piles out in front of vacant lots and vacant houses that our codes grass contractor cleans," Dishaw said. "He puts out tires and furniture out to the curb and public works environmental services follows. We're losing that funding.”
Parks commissioner Syeisha Byrd said she called an emergency staff meeting just hours before the vote to talk about how the department will be affected.
“I can't imagine moving forward this year with this proposed 7% cut," Byrd said. "And keeping all of our pools open and keeping all of our rec centers open.”
Byrd said grass mowing at the 1,200 acres of parks will also be compromised.
Five percent was sliced from the police department’s budget. Chief Joe Cecile said special details are the first to go.
“The Armory Square detail that goes out there Thursday, Friday and Saturday night to make sure everything goes smoothly when we have a tremendous amount of numbers of people come downtown...that will be gone," Cecile said. "The dangerous panhandling that we get called down for all the time...that detail is going to be slashed. A loud party detail that goes out specifically for noise ordinances, one of our highest quality of life calls, will no longer be in operation.”
Fire Chief Michael Monds said his department can’t sustain a $2.4 million cut.
“We've been busier than ever," Monds said. "We are at historic levels with our alarms that we're responding to and reducing our funding will directly result in an increase in civilian fire injuries, civilian deaths, firefighter injuries”
All department heads say during their budget review, councilors didn’t indicate they were seeking drastic cuts, and never asked follow-up questions ahead of the final vote.
