Syracuse Town Hall on Good Cause Eviction - February 19, 2026

The Common Council held a town hall meeting on February 19, 2026, to hear public testimony on proposed Good Cause Eviction legislation. Over 20 speakers addressed the council, with a majority of landlords opposing the measure and several tenants and advocates supporting it. The meeting lasted approximately two hours and ended with council members thanking participants and stating that all comments would be considered.

Public Comments & Testimony

• David Round (small landlord, 48 years in Syracuse) opposed the law, arguing it would reduce housing availability, increase homelessness, and generate further abandonment of housing stock. He cited a rise from 10 to 50-100 inquiries for an apartment since 2018.
• Joe Smorrell (landlord at 417 Lynchav) opposed, stating judges are already not granting evictions even with cause, and that good cause would worsen the situation for nuisance tenants.
• Pat Goodyear (landlord with ~20 units, east side) opposed, expressing concern that if she does not raise rents annually, her property equity will decline. She currently charges below market rents and worries good cause will force her to raise rents.
• Rick Distito (opinion letter author) opposed, stating the public was not adequately informed about the legislation and calling for a one-month delay and a public education campaign.
• Don Ratke (Greater Syracuse Association of Realtors, 112 Scott Home Blvd) opposed, proposing a task force to develop local legislation instead of adopting the state law. He emphasized that realtors have data and expertise.
• Joe Nastry (landlord, 609 Mertons Ave) opposed, arguing that good cause would harm property values and force landlords to raise rents. He called for a task force.
• Tom Beadle (President, CNY Landlords Association) opposed, stating the law punishes small landlords while exempting large corporations, and that he would have to raise rents on good tenants.
• Greg Smith (Smith Housing, near West Side) opposed, sharing a story of a dangerous situation where a 90-day notice delay led to drive-by shootings. Argued the law creates victims under guise of protecting imaginary ones.
• Michelle Munos (Beaver Clan, Indigenous rights advocate) spoke in favor of good cause, sharing her experience of being evicted multiple times. She urged honoring treaties and addressing housing injustice.
• Dave Manzano (Greater Syracuse Association of Realtors) opposed, stating the law would reduce rental supply, decline investment, and higher barriers for renters. He argued short-term stability would lead to long-term negative effects.
• Andrew Seavers (New York State Tenant Block) supported, stating the law has been debated for years and that landlords claiming they just heard about it are not credible. He said rent increases are a choice, not an inevitability.
• Peter McCarthy (tenant and former small landlord, east side) supported, arguing property owners are not the only people with rights. He said he kept rents low and participated in rental registry.
• Luz Marina Zender (Volunteer Lawyers Project) supported, sharing stories of tenants locked out of homes and living in poor conditions. She argued fear is driving opposition.
• Megan Stewart (Housing and Homeless Coalition of Central New York) supported, providing data: homelessness doubled since 2020, 65% of homeless individuals in the past year were first-time homeless, and the current system only houses 15% of those in need.
• Janice McKenna (Tipperary Hill Neighborhood Association board) opposed, criticizing lack of public communication. She said current laws are not enforced, so a new law will not help.
• A.K. Myers (Westcott neighborhood, tenant) supported, stating she faces risk of homelessness and already pays over 70% of income on rent. She cited publicly available data from Alexander Marion.
• Hassan Bloodworth (community advocate) supported, referencing a child who died from lead poisoning (Baby McKenzie) and arguing that good cause will restore housing equity and quality.
• Unnamed speaker (supporter) argued that wages have not kept up with rent increases, and that many tenants cannot afford to attend meetings. He urged passage.
• Josh Jones (landlord, 348 Douglas St) opposed, citing rising costs (roof quote from $7,500 to $20,000) and wage stagnation. He said one-size-fits-all approach won't work and called for individualized solutions.
• Latisha County (tenant, 10 years in building) supported, stating she has never missed rent but faces bullying and neglect from landlord. She spoke for 45 fearful tenants.
• Lucas Lesige (Party for Socialism and Liberation) supported, sharing his experience of unjust rent increases (sewage fee rolled into rent and increased). He called housing a human right.
• Deka Eisman (tenant resident) supported, noting 61% of Syracuse residents are renters, rents rose 22% in 2024, and 30% live in poverty. She urged passage despite imperfect policy.
• Genghis Khaled Mohammed (public advocate) supported, citing the 14th Amendment and arguing good cause provides checks and balances.
• Alisa Gutierrez (Knob Hill tenant) supported, describing her rent increase from $645 to $1,138 since 2018, and poor conditions. She said only landlords oppose.
• Paul Bolinski (represents investors) spoke for balance, acknowledging both sides' struggles but cautioning that laws can backfire on tenants by raising costs.
• Leona Mahu (Knob Hill tenant, former real estate agent) supported, arguing that landlords with open code violations should not be allowed to lease new units. She called good cause a necessary structural correction.
• Stacey Bailey (middle-class tenant, 1134 Lemoyne Ave) called for balance, citing eviction and rent data: 1,900 evictions in NY, 4,000 families in housing court in county, rent increases of 5-6% per year. She urged structure and mediation.
• Alexander Marion (Syracuse City Auditor) supported, referencing his 2024 report and data. He appealed to Syracuse's history of justice and urged passage on Monday.
• David Lockell (landlord) opposed, raising concerns about court judges not following law and the need for specific definitions in the law. He said he would lower rents if costs were covered.
• Peter King (tenant) supported, saying good cause would inject stabilizing influence.
• Jan Nastry (Keller Williams, landlord and broker) opposed in current form, calling for a task force and win-win policy.

Discussion Items

No discussion by council members during the public hearing. Council President thanked participants and noted that all comments would be considered. Councilors made brief closing remarks emphasizing collaboration and that democracy requires coming together.

Key Outcomes

• No votes were taken. The meeting was solely a public hearing.
• The council indicated they would consider the testimony before a scheduled vote on Monday, February 23, 2026.
• Councilor Marty read two letters: one from Dominic Cicerelli (opposed) and one from Mark Spadafore (President of Greater Syracuse Labor Council, supporting good cause).