Grains of Salt (v29): SOTC, Part 1

Grains of Salt

Last night, Ben Walsh, Syracuse's new mayor, gave his first State of the City (SOTC) address. Starting with this post, I'll take a look at how he outlined his priorities and his vision.

As the first mayor that I can remember while with young children, it seemed appropriate that he chose the Public Service Leadership Academy at Fowler High School as the location, and even more appropriate that he did a test-drive with some 60 students who are members of the Superintendent's Student Cabinet.  Walsh noted in his address that the kids were an impressive and inspiring group, that they "asked some of the most challenging questions" he faced while a candidate and as mayor, and

These young people are smart and passionate, and most important, I found them to be truly vested in the future of Syracuse. They want our city to succeed, so the challenge to all of us is to deliver a city that is attractive to them for the future.

After sharing several successes for the SCSD, including improving graduation rates, pre-k and career readiness programs, and outstanding teachers, he got right to the issues we face.

One of the highest hills we have to climb is the structural operating deficit that our city government faces. The financial reality we confront is precarious. Simply states, the city spends more than it takes in in revenue. None of us can live this way, and neither can the city.

He outlined the problem pretty succinctly:

• a stagnant revenue base
• no increase in state funding, called Aid and Incentive for Municipalities, since 2010, while the city's costs have gone up 12% or so in the same time frame 
• labor, health care, pension, utilities, waste and trash fees are all increasing 
• the very last Carousel Center - Destiny USA payment, over $3M, comes in March 
• eight labor contracts need to be negotiated 
• and, of course, there's the Cuomo 2% tax ceiling 

But -- boy, he's an optimist!

Everything I have told you is based on the realities that existed yesterday, not tomorrow. We can change course and put the city on a healthy fiscal path. 

That path will come, Walsh tells us, with the help of his Fiscal Summit Advisory Committee, a partnership with the Maxwell School at Syracuse University. The group will have recommendations due early this coming fall, in time for the 2019 budget. And, he says, the group is already seeing potential solutions towards solvency for the city.

What else is on his agenda for us? With 125 recommendations from this Transition Team, he's looking at stronger neighborhoods, better schools and inclusive growth, bringing the entire city along, allowing (eventually) everyone to Rise Above.  How will we get there?

Leveraging the work of the Office of Innovation (the I-team), which itself is leveraging our ideas; establishing accountability and measuring performance to continuously drive improvement; streaming Common Council meetings; leveraging the expertise of city employees who have ideas to do things better and more cost effectively and those types of things that are common in business, if less so in government.

Collaboration with other jurisdictions - including shared services with the County are also critical to our success, and Walsh advised he's already initiated these conversations at the local, state and federal level. One month in.

I-81 is going to be a huge key to our future, and our success, and Walsh seems to be looking at the big picture, not any one selfish interest.

When I hear discussions about a tunnel, or a new, wider viaduct, I fear the community is limited by thinking focused solely on moving cars. I challenge us to do our homework and place our focus on moving our community and our region forward.

I'll pick it up there next time.