Syracuse, New York
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Portions of this article were taken from Wikipedia
Contents |
Website evaluation
This website was most recently evaluated Aug. 21, 2012.
The good
- Budget documents are posted online.[1]
- Meeting schedules and agendas are available, but meeting minutes are not posted.[2]
- Contact information is provided for elected officials.[3][4]
- The city's directory provides the names and contact details for key administrative officials.[5]
- Zoning ordinances, along with forms, are present.[6]
- City audits are available.[7]
- Bid announcements and awarded contracts can be viewed through the Central New York Public Purchasing System.[8]
- Freedom of Information applications are available online, containing relevant pricing and contact information.[9]
- The Department of Finance provides a list of required fees.[10]
The bad
- Meeting minutes are not posted.
- City lobbying information is not provided.
- Local property tax information is not provided.
Budget
The 2011-2012 budget contains expenditures totaling $617,679,559. 46% of that total funds city operations, while 54% is for the school district. The budget accounts for a 4.25% drop in state aid to the city, as well as a loss of $5.7 million in stimulus funds. The city's portion of the budget, approximately $283.6 million, is an increase of $5 million of the past year's budget. Increased costs were driven primarily by employee wages and fringe benefits.[11]
Exploring Municipal Bankruptcy
Faced with high pension payments and rising health care costs, the city of Syracuse is dipping into state assistance to prevent having to use city reserves to shore up the budget. Syracuse faces an estimated budget gap of $16 million for 2013, but only has $20 million in the city’s fund balance. The city has tapped into its savings for five straight years to cover shortfalls. [12] Wage freezes and staff reductions in various city departments have been used as an answer to budget problems. Now the city is looking at municipal bankruptcy as a possible solution. Before the city could file for municipal bankruptcy the state Financial Control Board would need to step in. The state has invoked a Financial Control Board before, currently in the city of Buffalo, twice previously in Yonkers, and once in New York City. [13]
In May, Fitch and two other bond rating agencies said Syracuse had maintained a good credit rating despite looming fiscal pressures and a weak economy. Fitch Ratings maintained the city’s A rating with a negative outlook; Moody’s Investors Service maintained an A1 rating; Standard & Poors maintained an A- rating with a stable outlook. All three agencies warned that Syracuse faces structural budget deficits in years to come that will threaten its credit rating. [14]
Public employees
Elected officials
The Common Council is the legislative branch of the city government. It consists of nine members and a president. The president and four members are elected at-large to a four year term. The five other members are each elected from one of five districts to two year terms. Neither the president nor a councilor may serve more than eight years in the same seat. Members are: [15]
| Name | Title | District |
|---|---|---|
| Van B. Robinson | President | At large |
| Lance Denno | Member | At large |
| Pamela Hunter | Member | At large |
| Kathleen Joy | Member | At large |
| Jean Kessner | Member | At large |
| Jake Barrett | Member | District 1 |
| Patrick J. Hogan | Member | District 2 |
| Bob Daugherty | Member | District 3 |
| Khalid Bey | Member | District 4 |
| Nader P. Maroun | Member | District 5 |
The current Mayor is Stephanie A. Miner. Miner was first elected in November, 2009, and is serving as the city's 53rd Mayor.[16]
Administrative officials
A city organizational chart can be found here, along with a contact directory located here.
Salaries
Salaries are posted by The Empire Center. The ten highest paid employees all work for the Police and Fire departments, with salaries ranging from $149,059 to $139,595.[17]
Pensions
Transparency & public records
A PDF file of a FOIA request form provided by the city can be found here. According to the document, the city charges $0.25 per printed page.
Taxes
The city assessment role is compiled annually by the Department of Assessments. Assessments are based on the market value of property in the city. Property tax exemptions exist for rehabilitating a vacant residence, new construction, and improving a residential property.[18]
In May, 2011, the Syracuse Common Council approved a $2.4 million property tax increase, which was quickly vetoed by Mayor Stephanie Miner. The proposed tax would have added $48 to a Syracuse house appraised at roughly $70,000.[19]
Lobbying
The city does not provide information on tax payer funded lobbying.
External links
- City website
- Departments
- See sample transparency legislation at the Sunshine Standard
- New York on State Budget Solutions
References
- ↑ Budget
- ↑ Public Meetings
- ↑ Mayor's Contact Info
- ↑ Common Council Members
- ↑ Contacts
- ↑ Zoning Ordinances
- ↑ Auditor
- ↑ Auctions
- ↑ FOIA Application
- ↑ Fees
- ↑ 2011 Budget Document
- ↑ Syracuse Post Standard, 'Syracuse' and 'bankruptcy' in news article raise antennae at Fitch bond rating agency, Aug. 10, 2012
- ↑ WSYR, Expert says bankruptcy for Syracuse is unlikely, but mayor should explore option, Aug. 13, 2012
- ↑ Syracuse Post Standard, 'Syracuse' and 'bankruptcy' in news article raise antennae at Fitch bond rating agency, Aug. 10, 2012
- ↑ Common Council
- ↑ Mayor's Biography
- ↑ Syracuse salaries, SeeThroughNY.net, The Empire Center
- ↑ Assessment
- ↑ "Syracuse Common Council approves property tax increase to fund schools," Syracuse.com, May 9, 2011
