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jan. 17, 2019 high 23°, low 17°
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dailyorange.com
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IN THE PAINT
Saturday night marks the secondannual Salt City Drag Battle. Contestants reflect on their idenity, drag culture and how it all ties into Syracuse. Page 6
The city of Syracuse and Onondaga County have extended a sales tax-sharing agreement. Its fate lies in the hands of the Common Council. Page 3
SEE INSERT
Community outcry
city
Mayor to deliver ‘State of the City’ By India Miragia asst. news editor
Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh is set to give his second “State of the City address” on Thursday. Walsh’s first speech featured comments on education, the city’s financial state and deficit, the replacement of a failing Interstate 81 viaduct and economic growth, among other things. Several Common Councilors said Walsh will discuss Syracuse’s finances again this year, as well as initiatives he has led and his reflections on himself and the Syracuse community.
BRITTANY PETERSON, a mother in Syracuse, attended the “State of the Community” meeting on Wednesday, where Syracuse residents discussed violence against children and teens in 2018. dan lyon asst. photo editor
J
essica Elliott paused after introducing herself to the audience at the Southwest Community Center. She looked down, and for a moment, choked up. City activists before her talked about the toll that violence takes on children in the city of Syracuse. But Elliott, a teacher at three Syracuse city schools, needed to re-emphasize that point. “I don’t know if people understand how (violence) impacts children,” she said. After multiple shootings in the city of Syracuse in 2018, more than 50 residents gathered in the Southwest Community Center to discuss “The State of Our Community.” Six city activists sat at a podium to voice frustrations, highlight resources and find solutions
Violence against city youth discussed at “State of Our Community” meeting By Gabe Stern
asst. news editor
to parents of children living in the city. Multiple panelists called on community members to reach out to more of the city’s youth. Syracuse just experienced its most deadly year for youth in more than 25 years, Syracuse.com reported. In a span of 30 days from mid-September to mid-October, six teenagers and adolescents were shot in Syracuse, per CNY Central. National Action Network Syracuse President Twiggy Billue moderated the panel. She said the gathering was not in response to any particular act of violence in the city; it was from an “outcry” from residents, students and teachers within the city. The Southwest Community Center is a see forum page 9
I think, ‘Here’s a lot of basic work that probably isn’t the sexiest thing to talk about all the time,’ but it’s going to help us provide better services for less money. Tim Rudd
councilor at-large
“I imagine that he’ll look to the past year and see where he is and, you know, sort of evaluate himself. See where he came in and where he is now,” said Councilor At-Large and Council Majority leader Steve Thompson. Here’s what Thompson, Councilor Susan Boyle and Councilor At-Large Tim Rudd expect Walsh to cover in his second “State of the City” address.
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state
Federal shutdown affects central New York By Casey Darnell asst. news editor
Syracuse, like nearly every city in the country, has felt the effects of the partial government shutdown, as nine federal departments remain unfunded during what’s now become the longest partial government shutdown in United States history. Thousands of Syracuse residents rely on mostly-shuttered departments for food stamps and housing vouchers. Both types of assistance are being continued through February, but it is unclear how they would be impacted if the shutdown, which
began on Dec. 22, 2018, continues for months. With one in three Syracuse families living in poverty, city residents would be at significant risk. The Department of Agriculture, where 75 percent of employees have been sent home without pay, per the Washington Post, runs the federal government’s food stamp program, called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Most people on food stamps were given their SNAP benefits for February early because of the shutdown, per New York State. In October 2018, a total of 35,416 families in Onondaga County
received SNAP benefits, according to data from New York state. At the Department of Housing and Urban Development, 95 percent of workers were furloughed, according to the Washington Post. HUD, which has an office in Syracuse, funds the Housing Choice Voucher Program, known as Section 8, for low-income families, senior citizens and people with disabilities. The nonprofit organization Christopher Community runs the Housing Choice Voucher Program for Onondaga County. Dave Filipski, its acting president, said the organization has received funding from
HUD for January and expects to receive funding for February as well. “Beyond that I am not sure,” he said. In December, Christopher Community received 1,120 vouchers from HUD through a program that allows families to find their own housing, Filipski said. Contingency plans from HUD state that public housing agencies can use funds appropriated for prior years for housing voucher programs. “The only concern we have is that if any of these contracts come up for renewal during this period …”
see shutdown page 9
Thompson said the primary concern of city government is its financial situation, specifically where Syracuse will get the money it needs to continue running independently. A balance should be established between saving money the city has in its reserves and ensuring that areas such as public safety are properly funded, he said. Walsh’s 2018-19 fiscal year budget put a six-month freeze on salary increases and hiring of non-essential personnel in order to control spending, Syracuse.com reported. Police and firefighters were not included in the freeze. Boyle said the city’s budget for the 2019-20 fiscal year is the “giant elephant in the room.” The Common Council unanimously approved Walsh’s first budget without change in 2018. Rudd said he expects Walsh to see mayor page 9