The city of Syracuse will receive a total of $30 million in additional aid through the 2026-27 state budget, plus another $5 million in previously announced money, elected leaders say.
The final budget includes an extra $20 million for the city that’s part of a $135 million pile of funding for “distressed cities” across the state, Speaker Carl Heastie said Wednesday night. The funding, which Heastie said comes in addition to the governor’s budget proposal, is meant to “help municipalities across the state balance their budgets and erase structural deficits.”
Syracuse Mayor Sharon Owens said the $20 million announced by Heastie gives the city the opportunity to balance its budget and “further bolster our fiscal sustainability.”
The state’s $268 billion budget also provides Syracuse with $10 million in Temporary Municipal Assistance funding that is part of $100 million that Gov. Kathy Hochul announced for cities, towns and villages.
Owens thanked Hochul and local state leaders for securing the aid.
“This addition of $10 Million to our previous allocation of $5 Million will help strengthen the City’s vital services that residents depend on and allow us to sustain essential programs and preserve the quality of life our residents deserve,” she said in a statement earlier this year.
The Syracuse Common Council earlier this month adopted a $350 million city budget for the 2027 fiscal year. It included no new property taxes, but a 4% increase in water rates. It also budgets using about $20 million in reserve funds.