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 houses have students that their apartments are fully rented to students of Le Moyne College,” the college’s representative told the board.

College officials said two of the properties serve administrative functions (one at 1125 Salt Springs Road houses college finance staff; another, 201 Harwood Ave, will house the director of residential life next year) and the remainder are student housing. The college said it charges roughly $9,000 to $10,000 per student per year in the off‑campus homes, compared with on‑campus rates that the college said start at about $10,000 and run up to about $14,500.

“We have invested about $500,000 to repair the homes and improve them,” the college representative said, listing roof, driveway and interior work and safety upgrades to basement egress.

City staff told the board the same exemption request had been denied administratively last year and that the board upheld that denial. “We did deny the exemption again this year administratively,” a city assessor’s office staff member identified in the hearing as Matt said. He called the college’s application “a pretty complete application” this year but said there remained items the city would like to review further, including programmatic elements and rental‑registry questions.

Board members pressed the college on how residents are selected for the houses and on neighborhood impacts. A college staff member described an application process for students that asks applicants to explain why they want to live in the Salt Springs neighborhood and said the college received about 60 applications for roughly 30 undergraduate beds this year.

“We created an application that asked a couple pointed questions . . . Salt Springs is home to a diverse group of people. . . . What are some considerations you might take into account as you think about becoming part of this community?” the college’s residential staff member said, describing efforts to screen and select students who will be constructive neighbors.

Board members also raised the broader public‑policy question of whether the city should explore compensation mechanisms — such as payments in lieu of taxes — for nonprofits that hold significant property in the city. The college said it had not submitted any written proposal on that front but said it would be open to talks. “If something were to be proposed along those lines, that’s something we would consider,” the city staff member said.

Several board members and college officials told the panel they expected to continue discussions before the board issued a final ruling. City staff said they would review the grievance‑period materials and continue to communicate with the college; the board did not take a vote at the hearing.

The board chair closed the hearing after college representatives reiterated the college’s interest in remaining an anchor in the Salt Springs neighborhood and in continuing discussions with city officials about possible policy responses.

What happens next

The Board of Assessment Review will review the complete grievance submission and the city assessor’s further analysis before announcing any formal decision. City staff said they would continue to liaise with the petitioner and update the board as appropriate.