Public commenters urge Syracuse council to cut spending, question proposed tax increase and school outsourcing

Speakers at a Syracuse Common Council public hearing on the City of Syracuse and Syracuse City School District annual estimate urged council members to reject proposed tax and fee increases and to cut or reallocate spending toward frontline services and schools.

Why it matters: The council is considering an annual estimate for the city and the Syracuse City School District for the fiscal period that begins Jan. 1, 2025. Commenters said the proposed increases, use of reserves and large contract line items risk long-term fiscal sustainability and fail to address unmet basic services for residents.

Several residents criticized rising municipal costs and the budget—s reliance on reserves. "This council needs to do its job, cut the budget and balance it without any tax or fee increases," said Tom Babylon, a 22-year city resident. Babylon added the city has implemented multiple recent fee and tax increases and that a projected $27,000,000 deficit remains even after proposed revenue changes.

Other speakers pressed the council to examine large outsourced expenses in the school district budget. Rex Giadarno, who identified himself by address, said the district budget shows a jump for "land building rental currently 849,000 projected next year 8,700,000.0," calling the change a "tenfold increase." Giadarno also pointed to transportation costs, which he said rose about 13% to "nearly $38,000,000," and argued money should be redirected to classroom-facing staff such as teachers and social workers.

Hannah Ehrenreich urged the council to identify recurring revenue sources to replace a one-time use of $27,000,000 in reserves now proposed to balance the budget. "If it's 27,000,000 this year, where is the 27,000,000 coming from next year?" she asked.

Several commenters said city services are not being delivered consistently. Jackie Lassonde, president of the South Side Coalition for Justice, said code enforcement and trash pickup remain uneven in South Side neighborhoods, describing ongoing rodent and debris problems. Resident Daniel Ledanski said enforcement of parking and property codes is weak despite repeated reports.

Other speakers said large planned capital items and accounting choices mask the city—s structural gap between expenses and revenues. Tim Rudd argued that using long-term financing for short-lived items and counting one-time federal coronavirus relief funds (ARPA) as recurring revenue makes the long-term fiscal picture look better than it is. "Punting that cost into the future" risks exacerbating the structural gap, he said.

Speakers also raised school-specific items beyond large contract costs. Giadarno and others asked for more funding for elementary music programs, school sports uniforms and small but visible items such as additional water bottle fillers and bike racks at schools.

The public hearing closed without a vote; the legislation will be considered in the council's regular order of business.

Speakers quoted in this piece spoke during the public hearing portion of the meeting; their remarks reflect public comment, not council action.