Syracuse Common Councilors passed a budget Friday that relies less on dipping into city reserves, while funding housing and parks programs at a higher rate than Mayor Sharon Owens’ proposal.
The $350 million spending plan includes an additional $750,000 for Home Headquarters t help city residents with household repairs to maintain housing stock and reduce financial stress. It also invests more into youth programming through the Parks Department, and provides more for park maintenance.
Property owners will notice that money was also approved to start a revaluation. But Councilor Corey Williams argued that’s not the threat people might think. “From everything we hear, typically it's broken down a third, a third, a third. A third of people will have their assessment go up. A third will remain roughly the same. A third will go down. But even if your assessment goes up, it doesn't necessarily mean that your taxes will go up.” In fact, he explained changes in tax bills would be 3-5 years off.
Williams said one of the council’s main goals was to reduce the amount the mayor’s budget took from reserves. They trimmed that to just under 20 (M) million dollars without counting on any extra funding from the still-undecided state budget.
Councilor Jimmy Monto went into the process with a frugal mindset. "knowing that the resident is being squeezed by higher prices on everything, utilities at home translates to utilities for the city. So everything's more expensive. The departments were extremely responsible with their budgets. And, you know, we made tweaks, but I think it's fair and I think the mayor would agree with me."
Both Monto and Williams praised the amount of cooperation between the council and the mayor’s office in the budget process. Mayor Owens said she was pleased with the amendments the council passed, and commended the early-engagement model that will help in coming years.
City Auditor Alexander Marion expressed concern over cuts the council made to an account for retirement and health care. He noted costs for both areas are only rising, potentially leaving the city short on those necessary expenditures.
