OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Focus Greater Syracuse Citizens Academy Session on Government Budgets and Finance - November 5, 2025

Public Meetings — Wednesday, November 5, 2025
BodySyracuse, New York
SessionPublic Meetings
DateWednesday, November 5, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 3:36:15

Transcript — Verbatim
1:23:34

What is that transition look like?

1:23:35

Can you talk us through what that would be?

1:25:07

Yeah, yeah, I think it's um the hiring is the is the big part, again, given the fact that she has already part of the administration, I do think she mentioned this in one of the other she doesn't have to make those calls otherwise on the value of the outside working with that.

1:25:36

So yeah, I think that's one of the main examples of sort of learning from being here.

1:25:48

I had a ambition team on like something.

1:25:54

But uh we had policy committees and they wrote out reports and they've got a nations, and it was a pretty robust process.

1:26:24

Rob Robinson say this uh just a brief question, like what advice would you give to somebody who wants to go into politics?

1:26:29

Yeah, uh great question.

1:26:31

So what I would say is um first and foremost, if we can work uh uh read the news, uh be engaged in the community.

1:26:44

One of the things that I have to do is uh wherever whenever possible you don't want the first time you're walking into uh a particular space or meeting with group of people the first time meeting when you're trying to spend something to have a fair level of group.

1:27:06

But I think having credibility in the community having spent time with volunteering or vendor when you maybe do it as caring for the community as a citizen, first and foremost really how do you think of it in a better way to anything is your homework be informed, be engagement or make sure have an understanding of the need to help people to be able to sort of make some participant on the program the way that you have questions for you then you're already on the path of it.

1:28:14

Um Erika Buchko, I'm from Manoa and I work for Cornell Cooperative Extension.

1:28:18

Please get off someone before you go.

1:28:21

Um anyway, that's really my question.

1:28:23

So you just mentioned um being engaged in your in your community if you're interested in being in politics.

1:28:29

Now with the number of years that you've been in politics, would you suggest joining a planning board or a zoning board of your local community?

1:28:40

And why would you choose the one you chose?

1:28:43

Is it a choice of planning?

1:28:45

Planning or zoning.

1:28:46

So I guess it depends on the community.

1:28:48

So we have a planning commission and a board of zoning appeals.

1:28:51

So planning our planning commission actually oversees most of the zoning application where the zoning appeals is for uh potentially various uh.

1:29:00

So it really depends on everything.

1:29:02

So first I would just say make sure you have a clear understanding of which one does what, and then it would be uh a question of um your what skill set in the public.

1:29:16

In terms of is that a good is that a good stepping stone to what the leg and publisher?

1:29:20

I think in many cases um it could be.

1:29:24

Um I think that there are there's certain things that you obviously you'll be you'll be connected to what's happening, uh, new projects and investments, and then that's what we've got.

1:29:34

Uh um learn what it's like to get and to public pressure, which is a big part of the job.

1:29:42

Um, and so I think that that's that's healthy.

1:29:45

Um you'll learn how to work in a group dynamic.

1:29:48

Um I've never operated a I've been on boards, but I've never been in a legislative, I've never been legislative.

1:29:53

It's a different every time I get frustrated with the company.

1:30:00

Uh the only overall last budget, not what's getting uh obviously working.

1:30:05

But it's a different dynamic.

1:30:06

It's an executive copy of vision.

1:30:18

I can try to move people before there's a lot of failure.

1:30:25

I think the only potential downside from literally is um you're gonna have uh you're gonna have a like a operation in the voyage.

1:30:34

You're gonna have something that people can point to say, hey, you supported that concrete plant that went in my backyard, I'm not gonna go.

1:30:44

Um so we just have to be conscious of any public roles you have uh and decisions you make are a matter of public recording.

1:31:05

Hi, Cynthia Dowdell, Anadaga Hill.

1:31:08

Um you talked about the recent switch in growth.

1:31:14

What year did that happen?

1:31:16

What percentage was it, and is there a projection of where you see the growth of the city within the next five to ten years?

1:31:26

Good question.

1:31:26

I don't know that I have a way to answer a question.

1:31:29

Um the numbers escaped me again.

1:31:34

The the 2020 census was when we saw the population increase.

1:31:38

It was probably just one.

1:31:45

But again, the first time in seven years were uh since then between those ten years you're getting estimates, and we've seen the estimates kind of go like that.

1:31:55

Um really trying to population.

1:32:03

So I think that uh in terms of where the population goes from here, it's gonna depend on a number of things.

1:32:09

Um refugee resettlement uh is is a big reason why we need to be more popular.

1:32:15

So uh if we see a wrong period of time, we do not settle these, in fact, it's having the largely the the the exit and the um that only population has remained pretty stable.

1:32:47

So um, you know, I think we certainly expect that with my investment.

1:32:54

We are going to see with the county in the region would see growth.

1:32:58

Um, how much of that we capture in the city, I think is largely up to us.

1:33:03

Um we try to be very aggressive in housing development because I think we value what our communities have built the most follow the affordable housing fastest, going to be best conditioned possible.

1:33:16

Of course, we need related language that we think the jury still have a lot that was like, but just for context, um congratulations on your last.

1:33:32

Um the uh I think the context, so right now we're somewhere in the range of 146,000.

1:33:43

Our population keeping 50.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Community Engagement███████████████15%
Budget Equity Analysis██████████████14%
Affordable Housing█████████████13%
Property Tax Assessment██████████10%
Grant Management███████7%
Public Engagement███████7%
Fiscal Sustainability██████6%
Property Disposition████4%
Fee Management████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Focus Greater Syracuse Citizens Academy Session on Government Budgets and Finance - November 5, 2025

On November 5, 2025, Focus Greater Syracuse hosted a Citizens Academy session on local government budgets and finance at an unspecified location in Syracuse, New York. The session began with a Q&A with outgoing Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh, followed by a panel discussion featuring Christy Smiley (Chief Fiscal Officer, Onondaga County), the Mayor of Liverpool (Village), and Corey (Syracuse Common Councilor and Finance Committee Chair). The event included a land acknowledgement honoring the Onondaga Nation and thanked sponsors National Grid and Syracuse University.

Discussion Items

Mayor Walsh Q&A (First Segment)

  • Mayor Walsh discussed lessons from his tenure, including the importance of community engagement, hiring, and policy committees. He advised aspiring politicians to read the news, volunteer, and build community credibility.
  • He noted that the 2020 census showed Syracuse's first population increase in decades, driven partly by refugee resettlement. The current population is approximately 146,000, but the city was built for at least that many.
  • He explained the city's supplemental sidewalk snow removal program, which has expanded over the years but still covers only about 25% of the population. Property owners retain responsibility for sidewalk snow removal.
  • Regarding the corner of Salina and Castle streets (a vacant lot), he stated that state-affiliated entity New York State CEO acquired the adjacent Sears building and plans to redevelop both into a mixed-use property with workforce development programs, though no final commitment has been made.
  • Walsh highlighted proud moments: violent crime reductions, first-time homeownership ceremonies, and interactions with schoolchildren. He expressed frustration with the slow pace of housing projects (e.g., Syracuse Housing Authority's East Adams project) and with the recent budget process, which was marked by conflict with the Common Council and the departure of the budget director.

Panel on Government Budgets and Finance

  • County Budget (Christy Smiley): Onondaga County's annual budget is $1.6 billion with a fiscal year of January to December. The budget process begins in May with baseline budgeting; the executive proposes a budget by September 15; adoption is required by October 15. The local component (property and sales tax) is about $530 million, with 72% going to mandates and public safety. The county has a fund balance of approximately $200 million (15% of revenues) and a balanced budget for 2026.
  • Village Budget (Mayor of Liverpool): The Village of Liverpool's budget is about $4.2 million. Police take up nearly half. The village relies on property taxes, grants (e.g., CHIPS for roads, New York Forward), and has a healthy fund balance (1.4 times budget). The mayor advocated for paying taxes as funding essential services.
  • City Budget (Corey): Syracuse has a $350 million operating budget (excluding schools' $1 billion). The fiscal year runs July 1 to June 30. The city faces a structural deficit: 52% of properties are tax-exempt. The current budget had a deficit of $16 million (5% of spending), down from the mayor's proposed $28-34 million deficit. The council can amend the budget and requires a supermajority (6 of 9) to bond for capital projects. The city's fund balance is about $110 million, boosted by COVID funds.
  • Audits and Oversight: All three governments are audited by independent firms (e.g., Bonadio Group), plus state and federal auditors. The county has an elected controller; the city has an elected auditor focused on programmatic audits.
  • Tax Exemptions and Fees: The city discussed the 52% tax-exempt rate (universities, hospitals, state property). They can charge fees (e.g., sewer, lighting) but not taxes. Syracuse University has a shared services agreement providing about $3 million annually. Fees are tied to cost and cannot be egregious.
  • Sales Tax: Collected by the state, then distributed to counties and cities. Onondaga County has seen sales tax growth slow to about 1% in 2024 after COVID-era highs. The city receives about $127 million annually from the county sharing agreement.
  • Grants and Matching Challenges: Panelists noted that most grants are reimbursement-based, requiring upfront spending. Small municipalities often struggle with cash flow. The county implemented new software to track grant billing and reimbursement.
  • Fund Balance and Deficit Debate: Corey explained that the city's deficit of $16 million does not necessarily deplete fund balance because actual spending often comes in lower than budgeted. However, long-term sustainability requires action.
  • Mandates and Unfunded Costs: Christy highlighted state-mandated programs (Medicaid, indigent defense) that cost the county $105 million annually for Medicaid alone. The state has pushed costs down, including a $10 million hit from enhanced federal Medicaid share interception.
  • Property Tax and Reassessment: The panel discussed the complexity of property tax bills, including equalization rates, levies vs. rates, and the impact of reassessments. The town of Skaneateles recently completed a reassessment, with one-third of properties seeing tax increases, one-third decreases, and one-third unchanged.
  • Citizen Engagement: Panelists encouraged residents to attend public hearings, read budgets, and provide feedback. Corey proposed participatory budgeting for the city. The Village of Liverpool uses Zoom for meetings and reads written comments. They acknowledged barriers to access (e.g., elderly without email).

Key Outcomes

  • No formal votes were taken. Mayor Walsh is leaving office; Mayor-elect Owens will renegotiate Syracuse University's shared services agreement.
  • The Citizens Academy cohort received graduation certificates and were invited to explore tables with program representatives from partner organizations.
  • The event concluded with a hot meal provided by Francesca's.

Meeting Transcript

What is that transition look like? Can you talk us through what that would be? Yeah, yeah, I think it's um the hiring is the is the big part, again, given the fact that she has already part of the administration, I do think she mentioned this in one of the other she doesn't have to make those calls otherwise on the value of the outside working with that. So yeah, I think that's one of the main examples of sort of learning from being here. I had a ambition team on like something. But uh we had policy committees and they wrote out reports and they've got a nations, and it was a pretty robust process. Rob Robinson say this uh just a brief question, like what advice would you give to somebody who wants to go into politics? Yeah, uh great question. So what I would say is um first and foremost, if we can work uh uh read the news, uh be engaged in the community. One of the things that I have to do is uh wherever whenever possible you don't want the first time you're walking into uh a particular space or meeting with group of people the first time meeting when you're trying to spend something to have a fair level of group. But I think having credibility in the community having spent time with volunteering or vendor when you maybe do it as caring for the community as a citizen, first and foremost really how do you think of it in a better way to anything is your homework be informed, be engagement or make sure have an understanding of the need to help people to be able to sort of make some participant on the program the way that you have questions for you then you're already on the path of it. Um Erika Buchko, I'm from Manoa and I work for Cornell Cooperative Extension. Please get off someone before you go. Um anyway, that's really my question. So you just mentioned um being engaged in your in your community if you're interested in being in politics. Now with the number of years that you've been in politics, would you suggest joining a planning board or a zoning board of your local community? And why would you choose the one you chose? Is it a choice of planning? Planning or zoning. So I guess it depends on the community. So we have a planning commission and a board of zoning appeals. So planning our planning commission actually oversees most of the zoning application where the zoning appeals is for uh potentially various uh. So it really depends on everything. So first I would just say make sure you have a clear understanding of which one does what, and then it would be uh a question of um your what skill set in the public. In terms of is that a good is that a good stepping stone to what the leg and publisher? I think in many cases um it could be. Um I think that there are there's certain things that you obviously you'll be you'll be connected to what's happening, uh, new projects and investments, and then that's what we've got. Uh um learn what it's like to get and to public pressure, which is a big part of the job. Um, and so I think that that's that's healthy. Um you'll learn how to work in a group dynamic. Um I've never operated a I've been on boards, but I've never been in a legislative, I've never been legislative. It's a different every time I get frustrated with the company. Uh the only overall last budget, not what's getting uh obviously working. But it's a different dynamic. It's an executive copy of vision. I can try to move people before there's a lot of failure. I think the only potential downside from literally is um you're gonna have uh you're gonna have a like a operation in the voyage. You're gonna have something that people can point to say, hey, you supported that concrete plant that went in my backyard, I'm not gonna go. Um so we just have to be conscious of any public roles you have uh and decisions you make are a matter of public recording. Hi, Cynthia Dowdell, Anadaga Hill. Um you talked about the recent switch in growth. What year did that happen? What percentage was it, and is there a projection of where you see the growth of the city within the next five to ten years? Good question. I don't know that I have a way to answer a question. Um the numbers escaped me again. The the 2020 census was when we saw the population increase. It was probably just one. But again, the first time in seven years were uh since then between those ten years you're getting estimates, and we've seen the estimates kind of go like that. Um really trying to population.

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