Syracuse common councilors will be asking for more information from not-for-profits that get funds from the city budget. The city contracts with several agencies to provide various services to city residents every year.
But Councilor Pam Hunter says there needs to be more accountability about what these nonprofits are doing with city funds.
“We do have a contract with them, obviously they do provide information of what kind of services they are providing, but there is no follow up mechanism to make sure they are actually providing those services," said Hunter. "It’s not calling out any specific agencies, it’s just to let people know that going forward, there is no unlimited amount of money that taxpayers should be providing to not-for-profits.”
Hunter says it’s especially important to watch dollars and have a better idea where the city's money is actually going at a time when the city is facing continued financial challenges.
“This is kind of a put on notice -- board of directors if you’re thinking that the city will forever fund -- maybe we will, and maybe we won’t. But it’s putting more onus on them thinking this allocation of money that they get every year will always be there, because it’s not realistic to think that way going forward,” she said.
Hunter says she also wants to make sure there’s no duplication of services.
