OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Budget Hearing for Greater Syracuse Land Bank - April 15, 2026

Public Meetings — Wednesday, April 15, 2026
BodySyracuse, New York
SessionPublic Meetings
DateWednesday, April 15, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 30:08

Transcript — Verbatim
0:04

Order.

0:06

This is the uh budget hearing for is it called a buddy here?

0:12

Yeah, budget hearing for the Greater Syracuse.

0:17

What?

0:18

Greater Syracuse property development development corporation, okay.

0:23

Also known as the Greater Syracuse Land Bank.

0:25

Yes.

0:26

Also known as the Syracuse Land Bank.

0:30

All right.

0:30

We just had you guys here last week.

0:34

So we already went over a lot of the fundamentals and updates.

0:38

Um with me currently I have Counselor Hudson, Counselor Codwell, myself, Jones Rouser, and Counselor Monto.

0:49

I'm pretty sure a few others will be joining us after they have their lunch.

0:55

So we'll get started.

0:57

And I guess you could recap last week, and then I don't think anything major happened in one week.

1:04

But thank you very much for having us.

1:06

I appreciate it.

1:07

I'm joined here by Pat Hogan, our board chair, and Jonathan Link Logan, one of our other board members is here as well.

1:12

Who see you again?

1:15

Just can't get rid of this guy.

1:19

Um we're in the budget for 750,000, which is the same as last year.

1:24

Um as I presented to you guys last week, that funding was critical for us being able to break even in 2025.

1:31

Um, and it will be again in 2026, I expect.

1:35

Um the land bank generates about half of what it needs to operate through sales revenue each year, and we rely on financial support from the city and the county to make up the other half so that we can break even.

1:46

Um we rely on funding from the state for capital projects like stabilization and demolitions, and we do as many of those each year as the funding allows.

1:52

But um we're grateful that the city's funding so far has been restricted to things that are mission-related, so it allows us to pay for operations and property maintenance.

2:02

Um I mentioned this last week, but this generates a great return on investment for the city.

2:07

Um we've sold about 1,400 properties so far, and those are generating 2.6 million dollars a year in on-time property taxes.

2:14

And we are a crucial part of the city's uh delinquent tax collection efforts.

2:19

So before the land bank, if they were to send out a foreclosure notice, they'd kind of be crying wolf because the city didn't want to take title to any of these properties.

2:26

Uh since the land bank started, delinquent collections have increased by a total of 30 million.

2:31

You have granted to us 12 million, so that's about an 18 million dollar net positive for the city.

2:37

In addition, when these properties come to us, uh they become our problem for maintenance and uh and lawn mowing and picking up trash and debris.

2:45

Um prior to foreclosure, they're the city's problem.

2:49

And uh if they're not paying their taxes, they're probably not gonna pay their bill for their board up or trash removal either.

2:53

So we're taking that maintenance obligation off your books.

2:56

Let me just ask a question about the the maintenance part.

2:58

Being that we do transfer it to you guys, and then you take on the uh maintenance and uh board-ups and uh those type of things.

3:08

Um how often are or do we cite you guys?

3:13

Occasionally we will get cited um codes is pretty good about calling our maintenance staff and letting them know.

3:18

The problem with these citations, particularly on vacant lots and vacant buildings, is that it'll get mailed to us and we'll get it a week later and it'll say you have 24 hours to address this, or um you know, with trash and debris and things like that.

3:31

So they're pretty good about calling us and giving us a heads up so that we can respond in a timely manner.

3:35

Very rarely does it get to the point where the city does it and bills us.

3:38

And when they do, we pay those bills.

3:41

Okay, and so that's not a significant amount that you are paying out due to no, maybe a handful of times each year, and oftentimes it's if the police are responding to an issue at night and it needs to be boarded up, they'll call the DPW night crew and we'll pay for that board up.

3:54

Okay, all right.

3:55

So board-ups and uh uh dumping are probably the the most that you get not like trash, not like uh grass too high.

4:05

Um, generally our crews are pretty good about keeping up with the grass um and snow removal.

4:10

Occasionally they'll be trash dumped that we're not aware of, but um codes is pretty good about letting our staff know when they get there as quickly as possible to clean it up so that the city doesn't have to do it.

4:19

Okay.

4:20

So assuming that the state funding for teardowns stays stagnant, how many do you think you can take down this year?

4:26

And second to that, do you have pockets where you are targeting teardowns to try to piece together?

4:34

Yeah, we would move down um probably to Putnam this year.

4:38

So we've been as far as geographic focus, we've been kind of working our way south through the nearwest side over the past few years.

4:44

We did a bunch on Merriman and Barrett and Sabine, and then moved down to Delaware.

4:48

We did a ton on Fitch last year, and as we do this, the problem continues to move south.

4:54

So every year we are chasing it.

5:09

So maybe we'll have a contract by June.

5:12

Um and then we'll probably be able to do at least 50 demolitions this year.

5:17

Last year we did 70, but we didn't have that gap in between contracts.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Property Disposition█████████████████████████████████████████████63%
Budget Equity Analysis█████████12%
Affordable Housing█████7%
Zoning Regulation█████7%
Public Safety████5%
Transportation Safety█2%
Fiscal Sustainability█2%
Procedural█2%
Summary of Proceedings

Budget Hearing for Greater Syracuse Land Bank - April 15, 2026

The Syracuse City Council held a budget hearing on April 15, 2026, for the Greater Syracuse Property Development Corporation (the Land Bank). The Land Bank requested $750,000 in city funding for 2026, the same as the previous year. Council members discussed the Land Bank's operations, financial returns, demolition plans, infill housing, and community impacts.

Discussion Items

  • Budget Request and Financial Impact: The Land Bank's executive director (Kaitlin) presented the $750,000 request, noting the funding is critical for breaking even. The Land Bank generates half its operating revenue through property sales and relies on city and county funding for the other half. Since inception, the Land Bank has sold about 1,400 properties, generating $2.6 million annually in on-time property taxes. Delinquent tax collections have increased by $30 million due to the Land Bank's efforts, with the city granting $12 million, resulting in an $18 million net positive. The Land Bank takes on maintenance obligations, reducing city costs. Councilor Monto asked about citations; the Land Bank responded that they are occasionally cited for board-ups or dumping, but codes typically give advance notice, and they pay any resulting bills.

  • Demolition and Geographic Focus: The Land Bank plans approximately 50 demolitions in 2026 (down from 70 in 2025) due to a contract gap expected to be resolved by June. They are focusing on the near west side, moving south along Fitch Street. On the north side, properties are more scattered, making large-scale redevelopment difficult. Councilor Piniagua asked about north side clusters; the Land Bank noted they are demolishing a burnout on Mary Street and are open to working with the Burmese community center for lot purchase. Councilor Rouser suggested coordination with Reveal Bikes for temporary bike rack use on small parcels.

  • Infill Housing and New Construction: The Land Bank's Moving New York program application was approved, and they will start modular homes construction in summer 2026, with a waiting list opening April 16, 2026. Council members discussed the need for coordination among different modular home options (Land Bank, Home Headquarters, Jubilee) and workforce development partnerships. Density and row houses were debated; Councilor Nave expressed personal dislike for row houses but acknowledged options are important. The Land Bank is exploring row houses on South State Street and in Salt Springs. Councilor Nave also asked about difficulties with appraisal gaps for first-time home buyers; the Land Bank noted stabilization funds help bridge the gap.

  • Heirs Property and Wraparound Services: Councilor Hudson praised the Land Bank's work with families inheriting properties. The Land Bank assists heirs by providing clean title and using stabilization funds for renovations. They help heirs get wills to prevent future problems. A council member inquired about an elderly woman whose house burned down; the Land Bank said they are open to creative solutions like a life estate.

  • Surplus Proceeds and Additional Funding: The Land Bank clarified that the $750,000 request does not include a separate $300,000 line item for surplus proceeds from tax foreclosures (due to a Supreme Court ruling). They are not heavily reliant on federal funding but have received EPA grants for brownfield cleanup. Councilor Hudson asked about CDBG funding for stabilization; the Land Bank indicated current state funds are sufficient but they would consider CDBG in the future.

  • Inventory Challenges: The Land Bank currently has about 900 properties, mostly vacant lots, with fewer than 10 structures listed for sale. They sold 58 properties in 2025, only 18 of which were structures. They urged the city to accelerate tax foreclosures to increase inventory, noting there are almost 2,000 seizable properties.

Key Outcomes

  • The council took no formal vote during the hearing; the budget request for $750,000 was discussed and will be considered for approval.
  • The Land Bank's application for the Moving New York program was officially approved, with a waiting list opening the following morning.
  • Council members committed to exploring ways to support heirs property owners and to coordinate modular home information across organizations.
  • The Land Bank will re-send the revenue sheet to the council showing property tax generation from its work.
  • A councilor will connect the Land Bank with an elderly homeowner for potential life estate arrangement.

Meeting Transcript

Order. This is the uh budget hearing for is it called a buddy here? Yeah, budget hearing for the Greater Syracuse. What? Greater Syracuse property development development corporation, okay. Also known as the Greater Syracuse Land Bank. Yes. Also known as the Syracuse Land Bank. All right. We just had you guys here last week. So we already went over a lot of the fundamentals and updates. Um with me currently I have Counselor Hudson, Counselor Codwell, myself, Jones Rouser, and Counselor Monto. I'm pretty sure a few others will be joining us after they have their lunch. So we'll get started. And I guess you could recap last week, and then I don't think anything major happened in one week. But thank you very much for having us. I appreciate it. I'm joined here by Pat Hogan, our board chair, and Jonathan Link Logan, one of our other board members is here as well. Who see you again? Just can't get rid of this guy. Um we're in the budget for 750,000, which is the same as last year. Um as I presented to you guys last week, that funding was critical for us being able to break even in 2025. Um, and it will be again in 2026, I expect. Um the land bank generates about half of what it needs to operate through sales revenue each year, and we rely on financial support from the city and the county to make up the other half so that we can break even. Um we rely on funding from the state for capital projects like stabilization and demolitions, and we do as many of those each year as the funding allows. But um we're grateful that the city's funding so far has been restricted to things that are mission-related, so it allows us to pay for operations and property maintenance. Um I mentioned this last week, but this generates a great return on investment for the city. Um we've sold about 1,400 properties so far, and those are generating 2.6 million dollars a year in on-time property taxes. And we are a crucial part of the city's uh delinquent tax collection efforts. So before the land bank, if they were to send out a foreclosure notice, they'd kind of be crying wolf because the city didn't want to take title to any of these properties. Uh since the land bank started, delinquent collections have increased by a total of 30 million. You have granted to us 12 million, so that's about an 18 million dollar net positive for the city. In addition, when these properties come to us, uh they become our problem for maintenance and uh and lawn mowing and picking up trash and debris. Um prior to foreclosure, they're the city's problem. And uh if they're not paying their taxes, they're probably not gonna pay their bill for their board up or trash removal either. So we're taking that maintenance obligation off your books. Let me just ask a question about the the maintenance part. Being that we do transfer it to you guys, and then you take on the uh maintenance and uh board-ups and uh those type of things. Um how often are or do we cite you guys? Occasionally we will get cited um codes is pretty good about calling our maintenance staff and letting them know. The problem with these citations, particularly on vacant lots and vacant buildings, is that it'll get mailed to us and we'll get it a week later and it'll say you have 24 hours to address this, or um you know, with trash and debris and things like that. So they're pretty good about calling us and giving us a heads up so that we can respond in a timely manner. Very rarely does it get to the point where the city does it and bills us. And when they do, we pay those bills. Okay, and so that's not a significant amount that you are paying out due to no, maybe a handful of times each year, and oftentimes it's if the police are responding to an issue at night and it needs to be boarded up, they'll call the DPW night crew and we'll pay for that board up. Okay, all right. So board-ups and uh uh dumping are probably the the most that you get not like trash, not like uh grass too high. Um, generally our crews are pretty good about keeping up with the grass um and snow removal. Occasionally they'll be trash dumped that we're not aware of, but um codes is pretty good about letting our staff know when they get there as quickly as possible to clean it up so that the city doesn't have to do it. Okay.

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