UPDATED: April 16, 2018 at 8:39 p.m.

In his victory speech five months ago, Mayor Ben Walsh heralded his first term in office as an opportunity to “set aside politics and instead work together.”   

Just over 100 days into that term, members of the city’s Common Council said Walsh has stayed true to that vision. In interviews with The Daily Orange, councilors praised the mayor’s open-door policy and transparency, as well as his focus on constituent services.

“We’re all in this together. I can’t be successful without the Council working hand-in-hand with us,” Walsh said after he presented his first budget proposal to the Council last week.

Councilor Joseph Carni, of the 1st district, said it’s nice to have a mayor’s administration that’s always willing to answer questions.

“I’m able to go down and talk to him on a regular basis and just have open dialogue, which I think is crucial,” said Carni, the Council’s sole Republican.

Councilor Latoya Allen, recently elected to the 4th district, said Walsh gave the Council a heads-up before he announced a new sledding area in Burnet Park. Walsh, who campaigned as an independent last fall without the backing of any major political party, also made sure to invite councilors to the event, she said.

Councilor-at-large Steven Thompson said the Common Council has weekly meetings with Walsh and that his administration has kept the Council informed throughout the budget process.  

Thompson, who previously served as the city’s police chief, also said Walsh has kept him involved in the search for a new police chief to replace current Chief Frank Fowler. Fowler was scheduled to retire last year but will stay on the force until the city finds a replacement.

As part of that search, Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens has held public forums that give residents opportunities to ask questions and voice concerns about the next police chief. The third and fourth of the eight forums were held last week.

Allen said Walsh has made progress on his campaign promise to improve constituent services by “being more accountable about what’s going on here and how it’s translated to the community.” Walsh’s administration has returned people’s calls when they have issues the city can help with, said Joe Driscoll, councilor of the 5th district.

“The most frequent criticism you hear of government is that they’re not listening to the people, that they’re not making effort to hear from the people they’re meant to represent,” Driscoll said. Walsh’s administration is taking its position as a “public servant very seriously,” he said.

The Walsh administration has increased public access to government through both public forums and live streaming of city hall meetings. As promised in the “state of the city” speech earlier this year, cameras were installed in the Council chambers in time for April budget hearings.

In that same address, Walsh announced plans to improve accountability through a new performance management system, called the Office of Accountability, Performance and Innovation. That office will focus on customer-focused services.   

In addition to a focus on transparency, Walsh’s administration has prioritized improving the quality of life for residents.

“Public safety is a foundation for neighborhood stability, and we are making sure we’re investing accordingly,” Walsh said.

His budget proposal, if passed, would add an additional class of police officers and firefighters. Walsh said the city will increase security and environmental maintenance in downtown Syracuse by raising the downtown special assessment, a property tax paid by property owners in the downtown area.

The proposed budget also keeps funding for Tomorrow’s Neighborhoods Today and the Neighborhood Watch program. Tomorrow’s Neighborhood Today, or TNT, is a nonprofit organization focused on community building and improvement.

Walsh said one of his administration’s largest accomplishments in its first 100 days is viewing technology as infrastructure to help the city make smarter, data-driven decisions. He mentioned his plan to acquire the city’s streetlights from National Grid and retrofit them with LED lights, which are more energy-efficient. And if the city owns the street poles, it can implement “smart technology” for traffic and congestion management, he said.

“It really opens up an entire world of technological opportunities we’re currently not using here,” Walsh said. “Again, with the whole purpose being to deliver services more effectively and efficiently.”

While he hopes for economic growth, Walsh said one of the biggest challenges facing the city is its large operating deficit. City department heads cut about $2.8 million from their projected budgets, but the city will still run an $11 million deficit next year, he said.

Councilors said they believed Walsh was moving in the right direction to address the city’s financial issues. Driscoll said Walsh has been able to cut costs without reducing staff.

“I sit here on the day that I delivered my first budget to the Council,” Walsh said. “I feel like we’ve accomplished a lot, but, really, we’re just getting warmed up.”

Published on April 16, 2018 at 8:08 pm

Contact Casey: casey@dailyorange.com | @caseydarnell_