Syracuse Common Councilors take the final step Tuesday in a budget tug-of-war with Mayor Ben Walsh, sifting through dozens of vetoes Walsh made after the council took the unprecedented step of making 82 amendments to Walsh’s original $348 million spending plan.
Walsh didn’t veto all of the original amendments to his budget. And of the 37 he signed, some reduced spending and eliminated a 2.5% tax cut. But he drew the line in a couple of areas, including public safety and revenue-creating departments.
“Areas where we see opportunities to generate new revenue, whether it be through the Bureau of Administrative Adjudication or through Code Enforcement and Permit Reviews,” Walsh said on May 19. “I vetoed those amendments where I believed that they undercut our ability to generate more revenue.”
In his veto message to the council, he suggested compromise, saying he was “ready and willing to accept a call, sit down for a meeting and work this thing through.”
That didn’t happen.
“I don't see any kind of further negotiations going on,” said Council President Pro-Tempore Pat Hogan. “So, I think we're going to go with the budget we the council amended."
That budget strips $16 million from Walsh’s plan, with cuts across all city departments. It also eliminates the proposed tax increase and a $5-a-year water rate increase. Hogan said the plan will lead to more fiscal sustainability and make city departments more aware of how they manage their budgets. And he’s hearing good things from residents about the council’s stand.
"They were very opposed to the tax hike and they've been applauding us on our adherence to what the fiscal integrity of the city should be."
