Syracuse University will contribute about $7 million over five years to the city of Syracuse in a renewal of a services agreement made with the city in 2011, the university announced Thursday.

SU owns “a significant amount of untaxed land” within the city, so Syracuse taxpayers must pay for providing fire and police protection to the university, among other public works and municipal service, according to The Associated Press.

The agreement includes $4.5 million to fund general city services, according to the AP, and $2.5 million that will be allocated to local neighborhood organizations.

In the first year of the agreement, SU will pay the city $800,000, which is a $300,000 increase from the 2011 agreement, according to an SU News release. The $800,000 amount will increase every year by $50,000 over the next four years, meaning that in 2021, SU will pay the city $1 million, according to the release.

Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner said in the release that the foundation of the city’s economy is based on the city’s “thriving educational and medical institutions,” which she said employ thousands of people and generate millions of dollars.

“They also benefit from expensive city services, like fire and police protection; public works like snow removal, permitting and code inspections for construction projects; and access to our quality clean water system,” Miner said. “I thank Chancellor (Kent) Syverud for his support in this effort and appreciate the work he and his team have put into making this possible.”

SU will also provide a one-time annual increase of $85,000 to support local neighborhood organizations under the guidance of the existent University Neighborhood Services Agreement Advisory Committee, according to the release. A portion of that money will be allocated to Syracuse City Police patrols along the borders of campus and in the East neighborhood in particular.

In addition to the other costs of the agreement, the university will provide more support services to the city, including the provision of routine maintenance and improvements of Walnut Park. The Department of Public Safety will provide oversight of Walnut Park by regularly patrolling it and its surrounding areas, according to the release.

“Since I came to Syracuse two years ago, I have truly learned how much Syracuse University means to this city and community. The University is woven into the fabric of Central New York,” Syverud said in the release. “Just as important, the University is an extremely powerful economic engine for the city, county and region, with an estimated $2.2 billion annual economic impact. In addition to this vast positive impact, the University also directly supports the city in recognition of services it provides.”

Published on April 7, 2016 at 3:07 pm

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