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The Syracuse City Common Council conducted five of its budget recommendation hearings on Monday afternoon as part of a four-week deliberation period following Mayor Ben Walsh’s proposed $310 million budget for the 2024 fiscal year.

Here are the main takeaways from Monday’s hearings:

Downtown Committee

The Downtown Committee’s Executive Director, Merike Treier, presented the committee’s missions to revitalize downtown and provide improved services to the central business district.

Treier said the committee has made priorities of staff retention and development, downtown safety and security, architecture changes within its security program, cleanliness, beautification and marketing.

Rising labor and general costs have afflicted the committee’s various events and programs, Treier said. She said the committee is looking to generate more revenue through efforts like sponsorships or a potential fee for service opportunities.

District 5 Common Councilor Jimmy Monto and District 2 Common Councilor Patrick Hogan both emphasized the importance of the board and its annual festivals, including the Syracuse Arts and Crafts Festival. Monto called the festivals “paramount” in keeping the city active.

Next, the committee’s budget-focused subcommittee will make its recommendations to Walsh for the special assessment budget. Once the budget is approved, the committee will return to the Common Council to execute its annual contract, which will prioritize services from Treier’s presentation.

Bureau of Financial Operations

The Bureau of Financial Operations, the newest of the four bureaus in the finance department, is central to all of the city’s operating departments. Councilors discussed Walsh’s budget proposal with Commissioner of Finance Brad O’Connor and First Deputy Commissioner of Finance Mike Cannizzaro.

This year’s budget sees a large salary increase from the last three years and the movement of benefits from the department’s budget into its special interest account, O’Connor said.

O’Connor said the bureau is budgeting 22 staff personnel in FY24, an increase of eight people from FY23. The Bureau also created the position of a travel coordinator who will help with travel plans and approvals in personnel services.

Department of Law

The councilors met with Susan Katzoff, Corporation Counsel, and Joseph Barry, First Assistant Corporation Counsel, to discuss the law department’s budget.

During the past year, the department accomplished cannabis legislation, which gave Katzoff’s office more enforcement power to address establishments that illegally distribute marijuana, and also assigned attorneys to each city department.

Barry said that the department has a request pending with the state legislature for an extra $100 million to the Phase Three budget for the Joint Schools Protection Board, which would bring that budget up to $400 million.

Bureau of Treasury

In the treasury budget hearing, councilors met with O’Connor and Deputy Commissioner of Finance Veronica Voss. The bureau is part of the City Payment Center, which handles all of the city’s incoming money, including billing and collecting taxes, water bills and parking tickets, O’Connor said.

The bureau is budgeting for 20 employees in FY24, which O’Connor said marks one more than it had in FY23. The new employee, a delinquent collections worker hired in October, will solely keep track of outstanding unpaid bills.

Bureau of Accounts

In the accounts budget hearing, councilors met with O’Connor and Kristen Bennett, who is the city’s current director of accounting. The bureau, functioning as the treasury for the city through cash investing and debt issuance, works for the Syracuse City School District in addition to the city itself.

The budget moves eight bureau positions over to the financial operations department. Budgeted salaries decreased from last year, but FY23 saw an increase based on the high amount of vacancies this year, O’Connor said.

The Common Council will continue its deliberation before its vote on the budget set for May 8.

Published on April 18, 2023 at 1:03 am

Contact Kendall: kaluther@syr.edu