Syracuse, N.Y. - Syracuse residents could be reaching deeper into their wallets to pay their water and property tax bills.
Under Mayor Ben Walsh's proposed 2020 budget, property taxes would rise 3.5-percent, while water rates would go up four-percent. Rates haven't been raised since 2011.
"Syracuse’s fiscal health is steadily improving, but we’re not out of the woods yet,” Mayor Walsh said. “We still need to make difficult decisions on revenue and spending, so we have resources for the improvements taxpayers deserve and to make the city attractive for investment."
The City is continuing to cut its expenses. It is again calling on departments to cut expenses. Last year it was five-percent this year it is by 2.5-percent. by five-percent.
Mayor Ben Walsh's New Syracuse Budget
By Bob Lonsberry
Walsh's $252 million budget is not cutting any programs. More money will be going to street repairs, the city's sidewalk snow removal program, keeping the water from Skaneateles Lake free of toxic algae, and a full roll out of body cameras to the Syracuse Police Department.
The tax hikes coupled with the spending cuts is helping to close the budget gap and slow the the hemorrhaging fund balance. The City expects that by June it will have a projected $47 million in the city coffers. Fears still loom that the fund balance may soon be depleted.
The Common Council has until May 8th to vote on the budget.
You can watch the full budget presentation the mayor made to the Syracuse Common Council: