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Cities across the country are facing this issue, not just in NYS. Some are going bankrupt. I would have to agree with Ken Mokrzycki, not just for the reasons he has given. There is a systemic nation-wide financial crisis affecting communities across the country, the gravy train is over. It is time for the City of Syracuse to seriously consolidate services with the County, i.e. police, parks, purchasing, fire, etc. Also, many cities across the country are asking employees to contribute greater portions to their pensions. Here in Florida, cities are converting their pensions to 457k's or deferred compensations which are not desirable and are vulnerable to the whims of the market. I am not sure if this is possible in NYS, but Syracuse should consider moving its pension program over to the State retirement system as many cities have done here in Florida. I would not want to see the City tax suburban residents through a city income tax like in NYC. It would leave the city extremely uncompetitive!
I wouldn't hold by breath on the Common Council making any changes to the bloated municpal employee and retiree pensions which are a sacred cow to them and most of their constituents. If you read the biographies of these bottomfeeders on the city website, all of them have worked or currently work for a government agency or one of the major non profits in town. I would also guess the vast majority of their relatives and small circle of friends also work in the public sector. The current slate of Common Council members lack the political will to make any far reaching changes and it is much more palatable and expedient for them to institute a commuter tax and drive out what few viable private sector employers are left in this city and stick it to the evil suburbanites. Hogan is irresponsible to propose something like this pubicly, even if it's a last resort. Just the mere notion of a commuter tax or city income tax will only make it more difficult to recruit and retain businesses in the city.
There are thousands of fewer employees working downtown and any net gain in employment on University Hill and at St. Joseph's still does not counter balance the significant decline in the number of downtown workers since the 1970s and in industrial neighborhoods of the city, namely the Wolf Street area near Crouse Hinds and Erie Boulevard West. Some cities can perhaps make a legitimate argument for a commuter tax such as expanding or maintaining a rail system or building extensive new infrastructure to accomodate a growing population and rapidly expanding neighborhoods. The city of Syracuse can make neither argument. Instead a commuter tax would simply make up for the shortfall in government employee and retiree benefit obligations that were too generous to begin with. Further, the amount of money SU voluntarily contributes is a mere pittance. Providence, another city with many non profit employers and colleges is also trying to extract additional money.
I am not sure if this is possible in NYS, but Syracuse should consider moving its pension program over to the State retirement system as many cities have done here in Florida.
The rules are different, but Syracuse and most NYS municipalities participate in the LRS (Local Retirement System) arm of the state pension system.
Doesn't make it cost any less to administer as a system, and many localities have underfunded them for years. This has been in many cases a problem of their own making - lots of promises without putting anything in the bank to pay for it... just like the state system as a whole.
Syracuse has been bankrupt for many years but just couldn't admit it. It has only kept itself afloat by handouts from NY State and the money it got from Congel. The bottom line is that it no longer serves any function and cannot support itself and there is no solution. Its only hope would be to merge with the County but the County doesn't want any part of it. The workers and the retirees are being used as a scapegoat. Yes, there are problems with the police and fire who can retire after 20 years and the City picks up the tab for their health care until they are 65. But they could make every employee and every retiree pay $6000 a year for health care and it would not solve the problems that the City has.
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