2018-2019 Budget
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City of Syracuse ANNUAL BUDGET Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2019 Mayor Ben Walsh The city general fund budget, in the amount of $245.1 million, keeps departmental operating expenses the same as last year. To accomplish this, we asked all city departments to reduce their budget requests resulting in a $2.8 million cut in proposed spending, despite rising costs in all areas. The largest expenditures in the budget, as shown below, go to public safety, city operations and infrastructure, as well as neighborhoods and economic development. April 9, 2018 City Residents, Friends and Neighbors, Pursuant to Article VI, Chapter 1, Section 6-102 of the City Charter, I present the budgets for the city of Syracuse and the Syracuse City School District for fiscal year 2019, the period of July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019. It is with great appreciation and pride that I deliver my first budget as mayor of the city. Appreciation for the opportunity to serve you; for While the plan keeps the property tax rate the same, the city will the help you have already provided; and for the hard work you do to collect slightly higher tax revenue due to an increase in the assessed support our city. Pride in the budget we propose, which is the result valuation of city properties. The budget proposes to use city reserves of a team effort by people across your city government. It is a plan to close an $11 million projected deficit. that sets Syracuse on a path toward fiscal sustainability and growth. City strategic plan: City Budget initiatives for FY 2019 Syracuse will be a growing city Funding for road, sewer, and water systems with sensors to This budget plan is based on a strategy my team and I developed detect and prevent problems during our first three months in office. The plan begins with a new Acquire more police body cams; fund new police and vision for the city: Syracuse will be a growing city that embraces firefighter classes diversity and creates opportunity for all. Establish Municipal Violations Bureau; increase ordinance The plan sets four objectives to realize the vision: enforcement income Access assistance from State Financial Restructuring Board 1. Achieve fiscal sustainability Restore funding to Syracuse Land Bank 2. Deliver city services effectively and efficiently Fast track implementation of Syracuse Build to put residents 3. Increase economic growth and neighborhood stability on job sites 4. Provide high quality constituent engagement and response Invest $1 million in mental health support for city school students (Say Yes) The FY 2019 budget is the first of a multi-year commitment to Save money and energy through the acquisition of city street deliver on these objectives. The new office of Accountability lights; use light poles to create citywide tech network in the Performance and Innovation (API) is creating trackable key results to future monitor progress on these objectives. We will report those results Build new city website and upgrade CityLine service request regularly on the DataCuse website. system Syracuse City School District Budget Implement the Office of Accountability Performance and The School District has submitted a proposed budget of Innovation and report to the public on performance $437,238,502 voted by the Board of Education on March 21, 2018. A complete summary of 2019 budget initiatives can be found on This represents a 4.7% increase over the prior year. The budget www.syrgov.net. includes using $12 million in fund balance. The School District budget includes a requested $16.6 million state How We Serve aid increase to fund the following initiatives: - Compassion - Diversity Career and Technical Education - Cultural competence Chronic Absenteeism Initiative - Collaboration School Climate & Culture Special Needs Student Services I pledge to do all I can every day to uphold these values in your city Early Literacy government. I encourage you to hold us accountable to them, Family Engagement because when we do, I believe we will achieve our vision – that Syracuse will be a growing city that embraces diversity and creates English as a New Language ( ENL) opportunity for all. Safe and Healthy Schools Community Schools In closing, I want to thank each of the members of the Syracuse Common Council, as well as the Council’s dedicated staff, for the The proposed school budget is balanced based on the assumption time and energy they devote to their constituents throughout the year that the State Legislature will fund additional operating aid to the and, in particular, during the budget process. I look forward to District. As of the date of this letter, the state has just released the working with the Council in the year ahead to advance the ideas and school aid details and the District is evaluating the effect on the actions represented in this budget. proposed budget. Any changes based on state aid will be made through Council amendments during the budget approval process. And to our city’s residents, I thank you for the trust you have placed in us. I continue to be optimistic about the progress being made in our schools. As both your mayor and as a district parent, I am determined to be a strong supporter and advocate for our city school Sincerely, students. They are the very future of our community. Achieving a Vision of Growth Our strategic plan defined a vision for Syracuse and set objectives for our administration. It also established values to guide us: Benjamin R. Walsh How We Govern Mayor of Syracuse - Transparency - Accountability - Data-driven decisions - Constituent-focus SUBSEQUENT EVENTS The budget approved by the Common Council included the following amendments: Increase the School District Tax Levy Revenue by $420,208 to $65,754,995. Increase the School District Sales Tax Revenue by $832.00 to $629,574. Decrease the School District State Aid Revenue by $7,354,412 to $343,909,461. Decrease the School District Total Expenditures by $4,933,372 to $431,654.090. C I T Y O F S Y R A C U S E, N E W Y O R K HONORABLE BENJAMIN R. WALSH, MAYOR COMMON COUNCIL Honorable Helen Hudson, President Honorable Khalid Bey, Councilor-at-Large Honorable Steven P. Thompson, Councilor-at-Large Honorable Michael Greene Councilor-at-Large Honorable Timothy Rudd, Councilor-at-Large Honorable Joseph G. Carni, Councilor, First District Honorable Chad Ryan, Councilor, Second District Honorable Susan Boyle, Councilor, Third District Honorable Latoya Allen, Councilor, Fourth District Honorable Joseph T. Driscoll, Councilor, Fifth District Office of Management and Budget: Ms. Mary Vossler, Director Ms. Alicia Madden, Senior Manager Analyst Ms. Danielle M. Ormsby, Budget Analyst III Ms. Mary C. Yehle, Budget Analyst II Ms. Jessica Brandt, Secretary BUDGET FOR THE CITY OF SYRACUSE FOR THE PERIOD OF JULY 1, 2018 - JUNE 30, 2019 In accordance with Article VI, Section 6-102 of the Charter of the City of Syracuse, and pursuant to the Uniform System of Accounts for Cities, as provided for by Section 36 of the General Municipal Law, this budget was prepared by the Director of Management and Budget; approved by the Mayor and transmitted to the Common Council on April 9, 2018; published in the official newspaper on April 19, 2018, was amended through four ordinances by the Common Council on May 7, 2018, all pertaining to the Syracuse City School District. The Mayor declined to object to the Common Council’s amendments and the budget in its amended form became effective as of May 8, 2018 pursuant to Section 6-102 (4) (c) (1) of the City Charter of the City of Syracuse (1960). THE CITY OF SYRACUSE 2018/2019 GENERAL STATISTICS POPULATION* CITY OF SYRACUSE ...................................................................................................................................... 145,170 COUNTY OF ONONDAGA .............................................................................................................................. 467,026 PUBLIC SCHOOL ENROLLMENT (2018/2019) ........................................................................................................... 19,491 PUBLIC SCHOOL ENROLLMENT (2018/2019) INCLUDING PRE K)…………………………………………………..... 21,712 ASSESSED VALUATION (Full-Value Assessment for General City Purposes) ......................................................... $ 3,746,140,367 ASSESSED VALUATION (Full-Value Assessment for School District Purposes) ...................................................... $ 3,789,755,099 PERCENTAGE OF PROPERTY EXEMPT FROM TAXATION ................................................................................... 56.75% EQUALIZATION RATE .................................................................................................................................................. 80.0% CITY TAX RATE - REAL ESTATE (Per $1,000 Assessed Valuation) ........................................................................ $ 26.6153 GENERAL CITY ............................................................................................................................................. $ 9.2646 CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT ............................................................................................................................. $ 17.3507 BUDGET TOTAL ......................................................................................................................................................... $ 718,521,383 GENERAL CITY ............................................................................................................................................