City of Syracuse Annual Budget Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2020 Mayor Ben Walsh
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City of Syracuse Annual Budget Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2020 Mayor Ben Walsh OFFICE OF THE MAYOR MAYOR BEN WALSH April 8, 2019 Dear City Residents, Friends and Neighbors, Pursuant to Article VI, Chapter I, 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 2020, the period of July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020. After just over a year of serving as your mayor, I am more optimistic than ever about the future of this city. My team and I, with the help of people across your city government, have spent the past year working very hard to strengthen the fiscal sustainability of the City. In presenting our second budget, I am proud to report to you that these efforts, aided by the support of partners at the federal, state and local level, are paying off. Syracuse’s financial state is steadily improving, but we are not out of the woods yet. We still have many tough decisions ahead regarding revenue and spending so we can make the improvements taxpayers deserve and keep the City attractive to the businesses and people who want to live here. Our fiscal year 2020 budget takes on those challenges and supports those improvements. It continues to shrink the FY20 Budget Facts City’s reliance on reserves while investing in public safety, neighborhoods and city services. The plan will advance the $252.5 million Syracuse Surge, my administration’s citywide economic growth and neighborhood revitalization plan, with the first Department operating expenses installations of Smart City technology; fund the police body camera program and new classes of police officers and flat for second year firefighters; better manage city equipment for snow removal, sanitation, and other city services; add a new dedicated Department expense requests cut street repair team; and expand the sidewalk snow removal program. 5% in FY19 and 2.5% in FY20 No layoffs or program cuts The $252.5 million spending plan anticipates revenue gains from higher sales tax collections, growth in the city’s tax Projected reliance on reserves base, and a proposed tax and water rate increase. The tax and water increases are the first since fiscal year 2011. The lowest since 2011 budget would rely on a projected $8.1 million drawdown of the city’s reserves to balance the budget and prevent layoffs Projected 3% sales tax growth or service and program cuts. Growing tax base Proposed 3.5% tax and 4 % water rate increase I want you to know that, in making the difficult FY20 Budget Program Highlights decision to raise tax and water rates, your city Additional street repair crew in Department of Public Works and additional funds to reconstruct government continues to take steps to reduce costs and or resurface more streets including “Dig Once” projects on Butternut Street and North Beech be as efficient and effective as possible. I asked Street departments to reduce their budget requests for Additional funding for the Skaneateles Lake Watershed Agriculture Program to address Harmful operating expenses by 5% last year and another 2.5% Algae Blooms (HABs) this year. Thus, the budget proposed keeps department New class of police officers to improve patrol presence operating expenses, excluding employee costs, flat New class of firefighters to offset recent and impending retirements again. Full rollout of police body camera program (assisted by grants and state aid) The proposed 3.5% tax increase will move the tax rate Increased support for teen programs at Southwest Community Center and Boys & Girls Club to $27.56 per thousand assessed valuations. The 4% Restoring staffing to Westmoreland Park on the City’s Eastside water rate increase goes directly to a dedicated fund to Installation of LED lighting and first phase of smart sensors on city-owned street lights invest in water services and infrastructure. The New citywide fleet management function to improve maintenance, performance and financing of proposed adjustments to taxes and charges for water city vehicles for snow removal, trash and recycling pickup, police, fire, parks, etc. would increase costs for an average priced home in Appoint full-time staff coordinator for the 2020 Census Syracuse with median water by less than $1.80 per week or about $92 per year (based on average home Maintain support to Syracuse Land Bank at FY19 level sale price of $85,000). Expanded sidewalk snow removal program and planning for future citywide sidewalk maintenance, repair and snow removal The City of Syracuse currently has the lowest tax rate Tick and deer management program (to be reimbursed by Onondaga County) of all Upstate cities and among the ten lowest tax rates among all cities in the state. Syracuse’s total property tax levy is only half of Buffalo’s and around two-thirds of Rochester (64%) and Albany (60%). These adjustments come after very careful consideration. We want to maintain our edge for lower taxes compared to other cities in the state, but the city has gone eight years without increasing taxes. That is not sustainable and has not been good for the city’s fiscal health nor the way in which government serves you. Syracuse City School District Budget The School District has submitted a proposed budget of $471,343,982 voted by the Board of Education on March 13, 2019. This represents a $39 million increase over the prior year. The budget continues the practice of using one time revenues including $22.3 million in fund balance. The School District budget includes a requested $28.8 million state aid increase to fund the following priorities: Engaging our families and communities Embedding culturally responsive practices in all that it does Providing dynamic, rigorous curriculum and instruction Recruiting, developing, supporting, and retaining the most effective diverse staff Safety and security of children and staff is paramount The proposed school budget is balanced based on the assumption that the State Legislature will fund additional operating aid to the District. As of the date of this letter, the state has just released the school aid details and the District is evaluating the effect on the proposed budget. Any changes based on state aid will be made through Council amendments during the budget approval process. The Board of Education is tentatively scheduled to adopt its final budget on April 24. During the past year, I have had the opportunity to meet many SCSD students, teachers, and staff. I am consistently impressed with the caliber of people with whom I interact and their dedication to achieving great academic performance. As Mayor and a school district parent, I am also keenly aware that we have much work to do to get the outcomes we desire out of our schools and I remain committed to working closely with district leadership to make that happen, for you, our residents and for our children. Our Vision of Growth is Within Reach The vision for Syracuse is to be a growing city that embraces diversity and creates opportunity for all. It is built on four objectives: Achieve fiscal sustainability Deliver city services effectively, efficiently and equitably Increase economic investment and neighborhood stability Provide quality constituent engagement and response The budget we enacted in FY 2019 was the first step in a multi-year process to realize this vision. There is clear evidence of progress: Our projected reliance on reserves to close the budget gap declined Our fund balance is holding at a responsible level The tax base grew by 60% more than the prior year Federal, state and local partners have expressed support for the Syracuse Surge, our plan for economic and neighborhood transformation An online dashboard showing other progress can be found at dashboards.syrgov.net. The fiscal year 2020 is the next phase of making Syracuse a sustainable growing city. As your mayor, I pledge to do everything I can to accomplish this vision and to ensure that you benefit from better city fiscal health, improved city services, stronger neighborhoods, and quality constituent engagement. I welcome your input and ideas at [email protected]. Thank you for choosing to call Syracuse home. Ben Walsh Mayor of Syracuse GROWTH. DIVERSITY. OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS The budget approved by the Council included the following amendments: Increase the Parking Meter Revenue by $600,000 to $3,150,000 Increase the Code Enforcement Building and Property Permit Revenue by $50,000 to $2,150,000 Increase the Medicare Part D Subsidy Revenue by $100,000 to $1,500,000 Increase the State Aid Mortgage Tax Revenue by $50,000 to $1,050,000 Increase the State Aid Highway Revenue by $171,059 to $2,821,059 Increase the Department of Audit Salaries Line by $50,000 to $204,480 Decrease the use of Revenue of Surpluses & Balances by $327,000 to $7,773,000 Decrease the City Property Tax Levy by $600,000 to $36,789,781 Decrease the School District Total Expenditures by $5,475,482 to $465,868,500 Increase the School District’s Use of Fund Balance by $4,000,000 to $9,700,000 Decrease the School District’s Tax Levy and STAR by $900,000 to $66,418,788 Decrease the School District’s State Aid Basic (General Aid) by $10,439,275 to $362,271,914 Increase the School District’s Other Revenues by $1,800,000 to $9,492,100 CITY OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK HONORABLE BEN WALSH COMMON COUNCIL Hon. Helen Hudson, President Hon. Khalid Bey, Councilor-at-Large Hon. Steven P. Thompson, Councilor-at-Large Hon. Michael Greene, Councilor-at-Large Hon.