Onondaga County

Proposed spending plan cuts property tax rate 9% and highlights aligned spending on Housing and Human Services needs ahead of legislative review

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The County Legislature formally began reviewing County Executive J. Ryan McMahon II’s proposed 2027 Executive Budget. The County Executive presented the budget to the Onondaga County Legislature today, as is required under Article VI of the County Administrative Code. The approximately $1.7M spending plan covers all County funds and is 5.6% more than the 2026 Adopted Budget. The budget includes initiatives focused on investing in people as well as economic investments.

“We are living at a time in Onondaga County that is a ‘first;’ we have this once-in-a-100-year opportunity to invest in our future. We must firm up the foundation of that future so it can serve residents in the county who will be here to experience the growth we anticipate,” said Chairwoman Nicole Watts (District 9).  

The Legislative Majority has said that it has been communicative with the Executive branch on its priorities around housing, investments in people, and maintaining existing county assets. The County Executive has echoed the same sentiments, citing that if the two bodies of government can agree on the spending plan presented today, County government can accomplish the goals shared by both branches such as housing investments.

To support creating more housing units, the Executive’s budget proposal included a recommendation from the Legislature to create a new County LDC (Local Development Corporation). The proposal for an LDC came from the Legislature’s Housing and Transportation Citizen Advisory Board. The new entity would administer funds in the form of zero-to-low interest loans to developers looking to build homes for those with low-to-middle incomes.

The new local law to create the Local Development Corporation is expected to be presented during regular Legislature Committee Meetings later this month. 

Budget Hearing Presentations

The budget review process is an intensive series of multi-week hearings. This year’s schedule consists of 38 presentations over 10 days and a public hearing on October 1.

Typically, the budget process is managed by the Ways & Means Committee. Ways & Means leads legislative review, conducts department budget hearings, and recommends spending adjustments for the county’s tentative annual budget.

The Ways & Means Committee, under the direction of Chair Leg. Brown, will host the budget meetings jointly with the Program Committees that oversee department expenditure on an ongoing basis. Listening to the budget with Ways & Means provides a venue for program committees that have been working with and speaking to commissioners all year to provide strong recommendations to Ways & Means about allocations, amendments, cuts, and conditions.

“We need to ensure that the resources we’re investing in are meeting people’s needs. It doesn’t always mean more resources as much as it means being fiscally responsible and doing the work in connecting residents to services,” said Leg. Maurice Brown (District 15).

“I’ll be asking each department their plan for maximizing their services, spending down their grant funds, and how they’re measuring success to ensure we are making needed operational improvements,” he said.

As the Ways & Means Committee holds hearings, the Legislature will still host regular committee meetings to review ongoing county business and openly discuss budget presentations by departments.

“We’ve been transparent with our priorities and expect to hear plans for economic growth, to improve services to our residents and maintain community assets. The investments in people are the half that make this county livable and make this budget complete,” said Majority Leader Nodesia Hernandez (District 17).

In a recent op-ed, Leg. Hernandez and Brown called the Executive’s announcement of grants for local food pantries affected by SNAP cuts “an encouraging sign” that the county’s 2027 spending plan will reflect partnership.  

What Happens Next

Under the County’s budget calendar, the Legislature will continue reviewing the Executive Budget through September 30. A public hearing open to residents wishing to speak for or against the budget will be held October 1. The Legislature will vote on amendments and cuts October 6. The County Executive then has until October 20 to act on any Legislative additions or increases, and the Legislature has until October 25 to consider an override. The budget must be adopted by the first Monday in November.

The full 2027 Executive Budget document is available at onondaga.gov/finance/budget.

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