Le Moyne College seeks full tax exemption for 20 Salt Springs houses; city staff to review grievance

Le Moyne College requested full property tax exemptions for 20 houses it bought in 2023 during a Board of Assessment Review hearing in Syracuse on Tuesday, Feb. 25.

The college told the board the homes are “wholly owned by Le Moyne College” and are occupied by students or used for administrative purposes, are maintained by the college’s facilities staff, secured by campus security, and rented at rates below on‑campus housing; the college said it has also spent about $500,000 repairing the properties.

The request matters because a full exemption would remove those properties from Syracuse’s tax rolls and could set a local precedent; city staff and board members said they would review the application and supporting materials submitted through the grievance process before making a decision.

Le Moyne representatives described the 20 properties as part of the college’s effort “to secure the neighborhood” and to prevent the homes from falling into the hands of landlords who might allow them to deteriorate. “These houses are wholly owned by Le Moyne College. . . . The…