Syracuse Common Council Reviews Anti-Violence Grant Reallocation (March 26, 2026)

103,000.

So the updated award would be 272, 278 and 36 cents.

So right now for Syracuse Community Connections, their balance is almost 220,000.

So the way we came up with this is due to two programs, um, one being unbelievable, who did not uh submit any invoices or do any work over the last few years.

Um we combine their original award with OGs Against Gun Violence original award.

And then we split between those two organizations and their original ward um and put it into Syracuse Community Connection and Good Life U Foundation.

So that's how we come up with the numbers and where we are now.

Um the original award for both Good Life and Southwest, which were we were contracted with Snug at the time, they both were the same.

The reason that you'll see more added on to the Southwest Center is because they will be housing and working with mothers against gun violence, which will be run by Leepa Jones.

Um so you would see a little more in that.

Um I'll take questions as I know you you guys would have questions for me.

So with these positions, um teeth, what who are they okay?

So I see let's start off with good life, right?

Um the executive director, where's the sheet that had what they were getting before versus what they're getting now?

Like the breakdown, because now this is saying year three, this is the money that's being added towards um what they're already doing.

This extra money.

Right, so that money comes from what I explained from the two organizations that have pulled out, which is OG OGs against gun violence, unbelievable.

So we combine that money from those two organizations and put funding to to the two organizations that are continuing to do the work.

So I apologize.

That's why I should have said it differently.

Do you have reporting from these programs already that says like who works, what they're doing, what are some of the things that they do?

Yeah, so they're here today, and they can if you're ready to for them to come up, I can have them come up and they'll be able to do that.

I think that would help because I know it's me.

You're trying to sell it and yeah, I'm just giving you the numbers.

Yeah, you're giving us the numbers, which is thank you very much for that.

But to hear from them so we know exactly what the program money is being used for, what they're doing, what are some operations, who's working for them, because honestly, the community has a lot of concerns about the program.

Um people being hired that are getting back in trouble, you know, how the money is being used with you know, the youth.

So and I know that's not you.

You're just sort of doing that.

Yeah, so we so this is this everybody understand the mayor's officers reduced gun violence.

We manage the contract, so we oversee.

Um, but part of that is that even with this program, and we have tested it over the last six months.

So if for organizations interviews individuals to work for them, credible messengers or whatever it may be, the second interview would be with us along with the district attorney, along with Syracuse Police Department, which we have uh a few detectives that sit in on the interview.

Um our um attorney general our our one of our district attorneys, Joe Cooligan sits in on the interviews.

So they are questioned about their you know their current status and are they involved in street and and we get a few approvals.

So not just from our office but from SPD and also from the district attorney's office.

So that's our process um which takes longer, but then we don't get into the trouble that we've seen in the past.

So that's how we're dealing with that process.

That's you guys, but not the outside agency.

They have no the outside agency, if they're gonna contract with the city of Syracuse, they they will have to interview go through that process.

That's for everybody.

Everybody has to that everybody that they hire moving forward.

We'll have to come through our interview process too.

So even though if they interview them, that does not mean they're hired with the city of Syracuse.

Now they can have contracts with the county or wherever else they're going, but far as the city of Syracuse, they would have to have a second interview where we would bet them.

So they can't hire.

So any organization can't just hire someone and begin to working, working on a contract with the city of Syracuse.

They would have to go through a second interview process.

Again, that's with SPD and the district attorney's office uh and also some of our other uh partners.

I think another thing to build a little bit on what Councillor Could be saying is that we wanted to ensure that these two agencies feel strong enough with the capacity they have to do to then absorb another two and more work from other agencies that couldn't do the work.

Correct.

So that that's another, you know, kind of red flag.

Okay, so we just wanted to hear from them that to make sure that they're they feel that they can actually do this.

Yeah, I I agree.

And I just but I wanted to give you that up front to know you know our part and it is managing, and the last thing I'll say before you bring them up, uh this grant was written in or the RFP to the federal government in summer of 2022.

So that's how long ago it's been.

Um and those these agencies were already in it prior to the.

I remember that.

So then moving just so you have an idea when we look at context and historical context of uh why these organizations are here.

Before you bring them up, have you had any?