Syracuse's Common Council cutting expenses for dozens of departments, clashing with Mayor Walsh
Thursday afternoon, the city's councilors approved 87 amendments in their special meeting, claiming that the mayor spent more money than the city could absorb throughout his term. The council also said it doesn't need to raise taxes to control costs.
One of the most significant projects approved included a $4.5 million bond for a sidewalk improvement program.
On the other hand, the council trimmed more than $3.5 million from the police department, $2.4 million from fire services, and millions more from public works, parks and city administration.
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Syracuse's Common Council cutting expenses for dozens of departments, clashing with Mayor Walsh
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Councilor Pat Hogan, who is running for mayor, defends the cuts, saying they are necessary for the city to survive.
'We know we're going to have to deal with that structural deficit, and that's something that weighs on us, said Hogan, '120 million dollar fund balance, but the mayor's proposal would have taken 27 million dollars of the fund balance.'
Mayor Walsh, in a press conference shortly after the meeting, acknowledged the council cuts, which he said were somewhat of a surprise to him because he hadn't heard from the councilors that they wanted any changes during the month they had been reviewing it.
'This approach doesn't protect the city,' Walsh said. 'If this is how a council runs a city, I hope it's not the future.'
Surrounded by department heads, Walsh warned that the reductions would directly affect city services, particularly public safety. Police Chief Joe Cecile highlighted one potential impact.
'The Armory Square detail that we deploy on busy weekend nights—under this budget, that'll be gone,' Cecile said.
A document showing the council's full funding cuts proposed in the meeting can be found below.
05.08.2025-special-meeting-agendaDownload
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