SYRACUSE -- The Frazer park neighborhood watch meeting had a different agenda Thursday night. The group of ten spent a chunk of their meeting at the Park Avenue Polish Home talking about the mayor's proposed budget. Taxpayers like Joe Hall will feel the pinch if their property taxes spike, and Hall says the money can come from somewhere else. "The property across the street from me, 7000 in taxes. 7000 dollars. Hasn't paid it. And he's not going to," says Hall.
Neighbors worry about the plan's job cuts: Fewer firefighters and fewer officers on the street to attend meetings like this one. "Do not touch them. If the OT's gotta go to those people, god bless 'em. I can go to bed at night and know the fire department is gonna be there to take care of me and if someone is gonna break in my house, the police will be there. that's one thing you can't touch," says Ray Wentworth.
But it's not so bad for neighbors like Robert Synakowski. He says, "Real estate here is cheap. Quality of life is fantastic and 100 to 200 a year is not really significant.
Common councilor Pat hogan says property taxes hikes should be a last resort, something Mayor Miner also said when she delivered her State of the City. Hogan proposes a city income tax for city workers who live outside the city. It could be talked about before the budget is voted on in May.
