Ways & Means Advances $24 Million in Bonds
Bonds Support Need for Critical Technology, Road Construction, and Investments in Aging Equipment
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The Onondaga County Ways & Means Committee advanced legislation for $24 million in bonds for critical investments in public safety operations in the Sheriff’s Office and the E-911 call center, technology modernization across various departments, and highway and road construction.
The committee, led by Chairman Maurice Brown, is prioritizing responsible spending investments for long-demanded tools while ensuring County departments minimize unnecessary spend. For example, the Sheriff’s Office expects offsetting the cost of a replacement helicopter with a trade-in of the existing 27-year-old Air One helicopter. The department has long-sought to update the apparatus and tried to do so in advance of tariff and war-related cost increases.
“To put increases in perspective, since I’ve started this push three years ago, [the cost] has gone up a million dollars for the same exact helicopter,” said Sheriff Toby Shelly during the meeting. The Sheriff’s Office predicts an estimated $1.5M for the trade-in but emphasize that the investment will continue to save lives.
“You look at the work this aviation program does and divide that over the amount of time we’ll have that helicopter and the cost isn’t that much,” said Shelly during the meeting.
Preparing for the 2027 Budget
Committee members continue to focus on advancing legislation that aligns with ensuring fiscal responsibility for planned purchases, minimizing surprise fees for expenditures, securing government data, and protecting the privacy of customers and residents.
Following a budget presentation by County Chief Financial Officer, Kristy Smiley, Brown released the following statement:
“I thank CFO Smiley for presenting information on this year’s budget timelines. I also thank members of the Committee for their questions and their bipartisan commitment to a transparent and engaging process.
It is important to note; the Committee is not waiting for a moment in time to take a critical review of the County budget. I commend my colleagues in Ways & Means for showing up each month, asking probing questions, and ensuring that lines of communication are open with departments on how we are meeting taxpayer needs and funding county services through responsible spending.
Every bond we review and county program the committee interviews paints a more complete picture of our fiscal health and where we need to focus on strengthening services.“
The Ways & Means Committee has advanced $33M in bonds to date this year.