County Executive McMahon Announces Support for Local Law Streamlining Acceptance of Gifts, Contributions and Donations
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – County Executive J. Ryan McMahon, II today announced his support for proposed
legislation that modernizes and streamlines the County’s process for accepting gifts, contributions, and
donations. The County Executive intends to sign the measure into law.
The legislation, being considered by the Onondaga County Legislature at session this Tuesday, updates current County policy by allowing the County to accept smaller gifts and contributions without requiring a separate legislative resolution for each instance. Under the new law:
- Gifts, contributions, and donations up to $1,500 from individuals and organizations may be accepted
without additional legislative action. - Gifts from County park-related friends groups may be accepted up to $10,000, helping these
organizations continue to support parks and related public facilities that benefit residents. - The Chief Fiscal Officer will provide reports to ensure transparency, detailing each gift received, its
amount, and the date it was accepted.
The proposed law has several practical benefits including reducing administrative costs, eliminating
unnecessary procedural steps, and allowing County departments—especially parks and cultural facilities—to more efficiently benefit from community support.
“This is a commonsense update that saves taxpayer dollars while making it easier for community partners and supporters to contribute to programs that improve quality of life throughout Onondaga County,” said County Executive McMahon. “I appreciate the Legislature’s work on this measure and look forward to signing it into law.”
The new legislation also repeals outdated laws governing gifts and donations, consolidating these provisions into a single, streamlined framework aligned with current operational needs.
In the spirit of transparency, the County Executive also announced that $150,000 in donations from Amazon and the Allyn Family Foundation have been transferred to the Harborview Aquarium project. These donations were previously announced at a press conference on April 13th, 2026.