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Syracuse lawmaker warns against city spending habits

Ava Pukatch
/
WRVO

One Syracuse Common Councilor is warning against overspending and structural deficits heading into the next fiscal year.

In a letter to the editor published in the Syracuse Post Standard, Syracuse Common Councilor and Chairman of the Finance Committee Corey Williams warned that if the city continues down its current spending path, it will only lead to "insolvency or bankruptcy."

Williams said addressing the city's structural deficit and the loss of American Rescue Plan funding put significant stress on the city's finances.

"I think that the larger issue is the gap between our revenue and our expenditures," Williams said. "We need to focus on additional ways to generate revenue and be mindful of our spending."

Williams is encouraging an evaluation of current expenditures to cut inefficiencies. He said conversations with Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh and his colleagues on the council have been productive but the upcoming budget season will help form a clearer picture.

"As we look forward to the fiscal 2026 budget, that will set the path forward for where we are moving in the future," Williams said.

While he says he is not calling for drastic city cuts to jobs or programs, Williams says addressing the issues efficiently will help with the long-term stability of the city.

Abigail is a temporary WRVO News Reporter/Producer working on regional and digital news stories. She graduated from SUNY Oswego in 2022 where she studied English and Public Relations. Abigail enjoys reading, writing, exploring CNY and spending time with family and friends. Abigail first joined the WRVO team as a student reporter in June 2022.