The race for Onondaga County executive: A time to speak of change
Syracuse Post-Standard Blog
Sean Kirst
October 19th, 2007
My column this morning made a simple point: The argument over mandatory residency for nine city employees is one tiny piece of the profound challenges facing our community, and taking on those challenges ought to be a central, high-profile part of the campaign for Onondaga County executive.
The city of Syracuse continues to bleed population, and while the city is healthier than realized by many people without comparative perspective - unlike the case in many Northeastern cities, many Syracuse schools and neighborhoods continue to more than hold their own - the moment is here for courageous acts that might truly turn us toward vitality.
As for the greater county, it lost population in census estimates from 2004 to 2005, after a tiny increase from 2000 to 2004, a demographic which presents a larger challenge in itself - and says something about our overall condition.
So I would contend that the time for all the blather about forward thinking is over, and it's time to actually give it a try. If Andres Duany comes here and lays out a powerful philosophical approach for much of the north side of our city - even if you don't agree with it specifically - what about having the nerve to stick with that sensibility?
As for the Syracuse school district, it is locked into the baseline problem often cited by Green leader and Comnmon Council candidate Howie Hawkins: School revenues are based on property taxes, and a desperate city continues to offer massive tax breaks to private developers, which means the tax base in the city erodes at the expense of the children in the city schools.
Hawkins, for his part, calls for what in essence is a commuter tax. In my column today, I go back to a suggestion from former Mayor Tom Young, who called for created a pie-shaped collection of countywide school districts that would equalize revenues and resources for students - while changing nothing when it comes to children attending their nearest local schools.
In any event, at a moment when we should be speaking of all these things, I look for your thoughts and suggestions here.