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Syracuse Common Councilors are putting the Mayor s proposed municipal sidewalk program on the June agenda, but concerns persist.
Before now, councilors have been debating the details, and have had trouble agreeing to even allow it on the agenda. Today, Councilor Khalid Bey agreed to move ahead despite earlier reservations.
There are legitimate concerns that councilors have expressed, and that gives us time. I ll reiterate that all councilors to my knowledge support the idea of a sidewalk program. But because we all support it doesn t mean we all agree on execution.
City director of operations Corey Driscoll Dunham says councilor concerns have been valid, and they ve addressed them by sharing more information and making some changes.
Amid scrutiny, councilor suggests delaying Syracuse sidewalk program until 2022
Updated May 18, 2021;
Posted May 18, 2021
Snowfall makes a comeback in a fairly quiet January 2021. Clearing the sidewalk and steps at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Syracuse N.Y. JAN. 26, 2021. Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com
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Syracuse, N.Y. As councilors probed details of Mayor Ben Walsh’s proposed sidewalk takeover plan Tuesday, one floated the idea of delaying its start until next year.
Councilor Khalid Bey suggested delaying the start of the program until Jan. 1 to allow more time to address concerns and to establish financial relief for people who can’t afford a proposed $100 annual fee.
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The city of Syracuse and the local police union will move forward with an agreement to impose residency requirements for newly hired officers and increase the Syracuse Police Department’s budget.
The city and the Syracuse Police Benevolent Association reached the agreement in 2019, but the Common Council rejected it due to its cost. The two parties are taking the contract to an arbitration hearing May 25, where city and union representatives will present their case to a third party who will determine the terms of the contract, which will last two years.
The tentative agreement would require new officers to live in the city for at least five years and will increase the police budget by $15 million over four years to include bonus payments for some officers.
Councilors balk at Walsh’s agreement with cops: Can you even enforce residency?
Today 8:30 AM
Michael Greene (top left) and Khalid Bey (bottom left) are seeking the Democratic Party nomination to challenge Ben Walsh (right) for Syracuse mayor in 2021. Photos by Dennis Nett and Scott Schild.
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Syracuse, N.Y. City lawmakers balked at Mayor Ben Walsh’s latest attempt at an agreement with the Syracuse police union, reupping an argument that it’s too expensive and questioning whether Walsh can enforce one of the union’s top concessions: residency for new officers.
Though councilors said they don’t like the deal Walsh is proposing, they have little power to influence negotiations. The administration and the union will begin arbitration on the contract next month. The council has no role in that.