"Perhaps never before have the interests of the two pillars of regional community – central cities and suburbs – converged so sharply toward a common agenda. Perhaps never before has that agenda been so important, with our Nation entering a new millennium and racing to compete in a dynamic global economy."
Urban Development, Third Annual Report, June 1999
Background
New York State has a local government structure that has evolved over hundreds of years to include villages, towns, cities and counties. As responsibilities within local government grew during the 19th Century, municipal functions were assigned to city and town governments. County government developed into a "regional" government with functions that encompass, but do not necessarily supersede, the jurisdiction of cities, towns and villages within its borders. Counties were established as sub-units of State government and are very diverse in population and demographics.
While cities are also diverse in their demographics and population, there has been a dramatic fluctuation in population in the State’s cities since the beginning of the last century. All of the State’s large cities experienced rapid growth between 1900 and 1930. Growth tapered off during the Depression, and came to a halt from 1940-1970. In the period from 1970 to 2000, most New York cities experienced a population decline. The stabilization and subsequent decrease of population in the central cities has been accompanied by growth in the surrounding suburban communities. As urban patterns changed after World War II, some municipal functions were transferred to the County government. But these transfers were made without any consistent strategy, and without the benefit of 40 years of hindsight.
Syracuse is the fifth largest of New York’s 62 cities, and Onondaga County is the tenth largest of the State’s 62 counties. However, the results of Census 2000 reported that the number of residents living in Syracuse fell to 147,306 in 2000, down from 163,860 in 1990 (a loss of 16,554 residents) and much less than the City’s 1950 population of 220,583. Although Onondaga County also experienced an overall population decline of 11,000 residents in Census 2000, the population loss is attributed to the loss of population in the City. Outside of the City of Syracuse, Onondaga County gained 1.9% or 6,000 people since 1990.
The historical population trends and shifts in functional responsibilities have impacted the relationships between Syracuse and Onondaga County government. The Census makes clear that the City of Syracuse continues to struggle with population exodus, while there has been growth in our suburbs.
The population shift is a reflection of so many factors including education, housing, crime, tax rates, and a lack of employment opportunities. However, the situation becomes cyclical. Without improving the quality of life indices in the City, we continue to lose population in Syracuse. With a declining populace in Syracuse, our quality of life indices continue to decline. What is called for is a new way of thinking about these problems. I believe this means looking both inside and outside of our City for new approaches to the same challenges.
Problem Identification
"The key problems and opportunities of our day – crime, pollution, untapped markets, workforce development, welfare reform, infrastructure improvement and more – do not respect jurisdictional boundaries."
With the benefit of hindsight, it has become clear that in our community there are functions that are regional in impact that should be performed by the County in cooperation with the City. For example, the airport, parking garages, and arterial roads serve as engines driving the economy of the region. It is also clear that the City of Syracuse is central to this region’s success. We must come together as a larger community to determine what we can do to strengthen the City. It is not realistic to believe that our suburbs can be strong without a strong central city. The reality is that our fate is intertwined. In order for our entire community to be sustainable, our core must be strong.
Our region has already begun the process of looking at our policy concerns from this perspective of cooperation and collaboration. For example, the Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board (CNY RPDB), a five-county agency, is comprised of local elected officials, community leaders, business and industry representatives, citizen representatives, and members of minority groups. The CNY RPDB focuses on four key program areas: Environmental and Water Resources Management; Economic Development; Regional Information Services; and Land Use and Transportation.
The Greater Syracuse Economic Growth Council was created in 1996, bringing together more than 25 regional organizations involved with economic development to address job retention and creation issues. We must continue to work together, identifying areas best served by collaboration, and doing what is in the best interest of the whole.
Although some progress has been made, our community is often criticized for its lack of regional planning. As Mayor, I will be much more aggressive at pursuing metropolitan collaboration. Under my Administration, there will be a new way of thinking in the City. It will be one that fosters working with as many regional partners as possible to promote what is in the best interest of City residents and the region. The territorial approach of the past will be replaced with a new, positive approach to regionalism.
Objectives
It is time to reconsider the distribution of functions among the City of Syracuse, Onondaga County and other local governments. The reasons to engage in metropolitan and regional collaborations in Central New York are multiple, including:
- Enhancing the quality of services at a shared cost;
- Recognizing that marketing and economic development is more successful and appropriate at the regional level;
- Sharing ideas and resources often leads to better problem solving;
- Allowing for strategic use of scarce Federal and State resources;
- Planning more realistically;
- Developing a sense of local and regional harmony; and
- Enabling governments to compensate for their strengths and weaknesses.
The City of Syracuse must also pursue regional collaborations in order to get outside assistance for its revitalization efforts. The Central New York region should be an eager partner because the City’s vitality has a real impact on the region’s economic prosperity.
The goal is to develop, with the county and other municipalities, long-term partnerships that transcend individual jurisdictional boundaries and promote the assets of Syracuse that are also regional assets. These include its parks, downtown cultural center, airport, lakefront, highway access, and institutions of higher learning.
Methods of Achievement
For others to want to partner with the City, we must first convince them that we are a worthwhile partner and that we are committed to taking a regional approach to solving some of our problems. We must also remove the stumbling blocks that have prevented us from pursuing regional efforts in the past. It is time to move forward. As Mayor, I will act aggressively to:
Promote "A New Way of Thinking" within City Government
In my Administration, every department will become involved with thinking of ways the City can operate more efficiently and effectively with regional partners. I will issue a directive to my department heads that requires them to review each program or project taken on by the department and determine if there may be a better way to deliver services. Furthermore, department heads will determine whether or not there are regional partners with whom we should be working. We must look to the individuals who work day in and day out with the City’s programs and projects to provide recommendations and suggestions for potential collaborative efforts. Department heads will submit proposals for collaboration to me within the first four months of my Administration. The goal will be to identify services that can be performed more efficiently and effectively by working with regional partners.
I am confident that, as City departments review operations, we will find additional areas where we can and will collaborate. Through collaboration, we will eliminate inefficiencies and duplication and, in the long, run save taxpayer dollars.
Implement City-County Partnerships and Pursue Other Regional Partners
As Mayor, I will make City-County partnerships and other regional collaborations a priority. As was pointed out in the March 11th Herald-American editorial "Critical Choice," one way to defer the demise of the City of Syracuse is to conserve precious resources by consolidating services with other levels of government. The editors of the Herald-American noted a plan advanced by the existing County Executive and Mayor to combine purchasing departments – a move that would save the City approximately $500,000. As candidate for Mayor, I believe that we must go further than that. I am proposing that we rethink the entire relationship between the City and the County. As the only mayoral candidate who has served in both the City Council and the County Legislature, I am well aware of the challenges and priorities facing both governments. I believe this experience provides me with a unique and useful perspective, and will assist in identifying areas appropriate for consolidation and/or collaboration.
It is time for the City and the County to consolidate economic development activities at the County level. I trust that the County will not leave the City out of economic development discussions, and I believe the County will act in the City’s best interest as the hub of this community. Furthermore, the money the City saves from handing over the economic development function to the County can be redirected to Community Development, improving our neighborhoods and downtown, as well as redirecting savings to education. (See section on Economic Development.)
The Lewis Administration will work with the County to consolidate functions based on the nature of those functions. Those which serve the region are appropriately provided by the County. Functions that directly affect the quality of life in a neighborhood should be administered by the City. Every City service and facility should be evaluated in terms of whether it serves the City only, or the region as a whole. Three candidates for discussion with the County are:
- Purchasing consolidation would benefit the County by enabling the County to create a countywide purchasing service and would save the City an estimated $500,000 annually. The latest, more comprehensive proposal advanced by the County, but rejected by the Mayor, removes two objections I had to previous plans. It includes merging the purchasing departments of the City School District, and secondly, it does not require the City to remove its purchasing function from the City Charter.
- Hancock Airport generates about $1 million in revenue, which would flow to the County if the County assumes responsibility for the regional airport.
- The City would save $4 million annually by transferring the downtown parking garages, which serve a regional clientele, to the County.
This realignment would generate a net of $3.5 million that the City could invest in its neighborhoods. By having the resources to improve the City of Syracuse, we will make it that much more attractive a regional draw for businesses, students, and tourists.
Obviously, the legal ramifications of these consolidation proposals will need to be explored, including the transfer of the Syracuse Industrial Development Agency (SIDA) and the Syracuse Economic Development Corporation (SEDCO) to the County.
Promote Human Service Collaborations
County-provided services that have a direct impact on City residents, like health, mental health, and social services, could also be ideal candidates for consolidation in another form. Working at Huntington Family Center, I saw firsthand how effective services could be when they are based in the neighborhood. As City Auditor, I understand the need to use resources effectively; I have worked specifically to promote the Community Schools Initiative. In this context, social services would be made available in neighborhood centers located in our schools. The services would be better, and the cost to the County would be far less. The City School District is already moving in this direction; and the County Executive recently announced this as a goal in his State of the County message (See the section on Education).
Beyond the County, I believe we will find willing partners with towns and villages throughout the region. I will aggressively pursue cooperative service agreements with additional municipal governments that would provide a win-win for our City and our partners.
Encourage Smart Growth Initiatives
As discussed previously, as our City population has declined, our County population has grown. However, not all of the areas outside of the City in the County are experiencing growth. The fastest growing parts of the County are areas furthest removed from our City, what are known as "second ring suburbs", such as Cicero, Manlius, Onondaga and Lysander. We are now seeing the inner ring suburbs of Dewitt, Salina, Mattydale, Solvay, Geddes and Camillus experience decline in population, and some of the challenges faced by the City are surfacing there as well. It has become clear that the expansion into the second ring suburbs has not only negatively impacted the City, but now older suburban communities are struggling to maintain their population bases and to stabilize the housing stock. As a region, we must grow smarter or suffer the consequences of a decaying City and inner suburbs.
"Smart growth" is planned growth that protects the larger community’s green space and other valuable resources while emphasizing the value of existing resources in existing communities. The opposite of smart growth is suburban sprawl. Some of the results of suburban sprawl include: traffic congestion, overcrowded schools, loss of open spaces, a lack of affordable housing and a decline in the sense of community.
The current lack of smart growth in our community must be discussed at the regional level. We must bring together regional leaders, businesses, educational institutions, builders and community members to discuss how we can reduce the negative impact of suburban sprawl.
Within our own community, at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, there is the Council for Community Design Research. The Council works in partnership with communities, elected officials, agencies and non-profit organizations to provide technical assistance and educational and research projects that build community capacity to manage sustainable futures. We must make better use of our exceptional local resources, especially the expertise at our institutes of higher education.
We cannot continue to talk about "smart growth" without putting into practice real policies that lead to planned and controlled growth. As Mayor, I will propose a "Smart Growth Summit" where regional leaders, businesses, experts from local universities and colleges, non-profits and community members will come together to discuss the challenges posed by suburban sprawl and recommend proposals for growing smarter in our community. I will work with the Syracuse-Onondaga County Planning Agency (SOCPA) to ensure that the commitment to smart growth is carried out in policies and programs throughout the City. SOCPA has been intimately involved with developing the Onondaga County Settlement Plan, and we should coordinate our collective effort to strengthen our historic neighborhoods. We must have a community-wide agreement on the approaches to deal with suburban sprawl.
Market Collaborative Efforts to Members of the Community
To have successful collaboration between the City and any other government entity, the community must be a partner in the discussions regarding collaboration and shared service agreements. Collaboration at any level will only be as successful as the community support for the endeavor. In this regard, it is critical that the community is part of the discussions and planning process for potential collaborations. In addition, we must make better use of the expertise that is available to us, from our local college and universities, businesses and non-profit agencies in developing and implementing regional partnerships.
The community should be well aware of the costs and benefits of the collaborative effort and it should be provided with information regarding the anticipated time frame of its implementation. Once a collaborative effort has been agreed to, it must be marketed to the larger community so that everyone will know what to expect and who to hold accountable for services. Community involvement and consensus-building are critical throughout this process.
Expected Outcomes
Changes must be made to accomplish collaboration. If the next City Administration is "creative and courageous", then we can accomplish a goal that has eluded most attempts at collaboration. It is my belief that there are willing partners for the City in the County and other municipalities throughout our region if we aggressively pursue them and negotiate in good faith.
We will be able to measure our success in three ways:
- There will be substantial cost savings to the City by using resources more effectively and efficiently and by eliminating duplicated services;
- There will be a regional reinvestment in the City of Syracuse; and
- There will be more effective strategic planning within the region.
The collaborative arrangements I will aggressively pursue as Mayor will result in efficiencies and cost savings. It is my estimate that, through collaboration within the City and with regional partners, we will have savings of millions of dollars. These savings will enable the Mayor to direct additional City resources to schools and neighborhood development and prevent the need for raising taxes.
The time is right to call on our allies to reflect upon the importance of a strong core on the entire region. We will know that we have been successful when it is widely acknowledged that investment in our City is a win-win for the City and our region. I believe there is already strong support for the City. With the right leadership, this support will translate into progress for Syracuse.
Finally, the City of Syracuse will benefit from my Administration’s efforts to coordinate a regional approach to problem-solving and growth. I will lead the way in promoting "smart growth" in the planning and development efforts of our region. I believe this will lead to a reinvestment in our City and our neighborhoods.