2023 Annual Report - Fiscal Sustainability
FY 2023 Budget
In April, Mayor Walsh presented the sixth budget under his administration to the Syracuse Common Council. The $310 million budget enhanced services for parks, public works, police, fire, schools and neighborhood quality of life. The proposal reduced the City’s use of American Rescue Plan Act (APRA) relief and fund balance compared to the prior fiscal year. The plan relied on growth in sales tax and property values and proposed a 2% increase in the property tax rate to address the structural budget deficit that has plagued the City for decades.
Credit Rating Upgrade
A year after having its bond rating upgraded by Fitch and S&P, all three credit rating agencies maintained their ratings for Syracuse in 2023. With these ratings, Syracuse is considered fiscally stable by all three of the major bond agencies: Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s and Fitch.
Division of Equity, Compliance and Social Impact (DECSI)
The City established a new Division of Equity Compliance and Social Impact in the Office of Management and Budget. The DECSI team established a strategic framework that is comprised of five sections: vendor engagement, social impact, analytics, contact management, and compliance. The new framework works to address vendors’ needs, provide resources, and support the overall goals of communication, transparency, and inclusivity.
Online MWBE Database
DECSI also launched a new streamlined digital directory to connect diverse vendors to City contracting opportunities. In the first month it was available, the City more than doubled the number of vendors enrolled from 42 to 110. Each application takes less than 10 minutes for staff to process, reduced from to 1-2 hours through the paper-based process used for the past 30 years. This efficiency translated to over 45 hours of staff time saved in the first month alone.
Procurement Transformation
The City’s process for procuring goods and services began to undergo a full transformation in 2023. The City’s Procurement Transformation team embarked on a multi-disciplinary strategic planning and change management process to make city government more effective in its buying power and impact. Led by the Office of Management and Budget with technical support from the Harvard Kennedy School’s Government Performance Lab (GPL), the procurement transformation project will ensure that doing business with the City is cost-effective, results-driven, equitable, and strategic.
Annual Assessments
Using a data-centric approach, the City’s Department of Assessment reassessed about 7,500 properties last year. That’s a 40% increase over the prior year and enhances the equity of our assessment rolls.
Property Tax Relief for Seniors
Under a new state law, the City expanded of eligibility for partial exemption from City, School, and County property taxes for homeowners. Under the new eligibility requirements, residents that are 65 years old and older, as well as persons with disabilities, can qualify for a break on property taxes on a sliding scale.
Automated Issuance Management System (AIMS)
The City is improving its accuracy in citing municipal violations using Automated Issuance Management System (AIMS). Municipal violations like code violations, parking tickets, and health and sanitation violations, are now being cited using automated, electronic tickets. Employees in the field such as parking attendants and public works employees can use an automated handheld device in the field to issue tickets on-site. Tickets can now be paid online or contested using a QR code on the ticket. The automation of citing, paying, and contesting tickets makes for a more straightforward process beginning to end, saving time and resources for staff and constituents.
Tax Trust Program
The City’s new tax trust program launched early 2023, reduced the required down payment and interest rate and introduced availability for non-owner-occupied properties. It provides a more affordable option for residents who have fallen behind on property taxes and increases revenue for the City.