In response to Mayor Ben Walsh’s second “State of the City” address, several common councilors said the city was making positive advancements in areas surrounding economic growth and development.

Last Thursday evening, Walsh outlined his vision for Syracuse to become “a growing city that embraces diversity and creates opportunity for all.” He spoke about the city’s budget, as well as the expansion of the Syracuse Build job opportunity program and the creation of Syracuse Surge, an economic development program.

Walsh highlighted two major advancements to Syracuse Build, an initiative meant to involve the city’s workforce in upcoming Interstate-81 construction: a thrice-annual, $200,000 grant awarded to city CenterState CEO and a partnership for Syracuse University to be the first private sector anchor project partner.

The Council knew about Syracuse Build before Walsh’s announcement, but it was not highly involved in the creation of it, Councilor At-Large Steve Thompson said.

“It becomes concrete and it becomes real,” Councilor At-Large Michael Greene said of the advancements to Syracuse Build. “So being able to proactively plan for those kind of projects within the Syracuse Build program will be helpful.”

Councilor Joe Driscoll, of the 5th district, praised the updates to Syracuse Build but said he would like to involve the city’s unions in the project.

“It’s great to have SU as a partner,” he said. “I just hope that that crucial partner of the unions are at the table with us, as well.”

During his speech, Walsh reflected on the city’s 2018-19 fiscal year budget, which kept departmental spending flat throughout his first year, but cut departmental funding.

Each city department experienced a 5 percent budget cut, said Common Councilor Susan Boyle, of the 3rd district. She said it was a necessary move for Walsh to make.

Walsh’s administration has been focused on fiscal responsibility, but the mayor has acknowledged a city cannot reach prosperity by making budget cuts, Driscoll said.

“You have to take bold leaps in order to get out of a hole, and this mayor’s doing it,” he said. “But at the same time, we’ll see how they play out.”

In his “State of the City” speech, Walsh also spoke about Syracuse Surge, a growth and economic opportunity strategy that will invest in and capitalize on smart technologies to spark investment and city-wide growth.

Greene said the initiative will link developments happening in the city’s downtown area with Syracuse’s South Side to create more job opportunities and investments.

The Southside Campus for the New Economy will be built in the Southeast area of downtown as part of the Syracuse Surge, Walsh said at his speech. The campus will have broadband internet, a workforce development program and a regional Science Technology Engineering Arts and Math, or STEAM, school.

Boyle said the initiative will put Syracuse ahead of other growing cities, as well as make the city more marketable and set it up for future fiscal growth.

“It’s a big initiative,” Thompson said of Syracuse Surge. “A lot of cogs have to fall into place for it all to come off. But it’s the future of the city.”

Published on January 23, 2019 at 10:26 pm

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