Chris Libonati

1 month ago | centralcurrent.org | Chris Libonati

Mayor Ben Walsh vetoed 45 amendments previously approved by the Common Council that would have removed millions of dollars in spending from his proposed budget. Walsh’s vetoes preserved $3.3 million in cuts of the $16.3 million made by the Council. The mayor preserved $1.1 million in cuts to the Department of Public Works, a $1 million cut meant to fund the Syracuse Housing Strategies Corporation and a $150,000 cut to the Office to Reduce Gun Violence.

1 month ago | centralcurrent.org | Chris Libonati

When the Syracuse Common Council made $16 million in cuts to Mayor Ben Walsh’s proposed budget, Walsh and city employees held a blistering press conference. Walsh called the cuts “draconian and dangerous.”But how far do the cuts go? Central Current dove into the numbers for three key city departments: the Division of Code Enforcement, the Syracuse Police Department and the Department of Public Works.

1 month ago | centralcurrent.org | Chris Libonati

Mayor Ben Walsh and councilors Corey Williams and Pat Hogan on Wednesday met for the first time since the Common Council voted to slash about $16 million of Walsh’s proposed budget. The Council is locked into a dispute with Walsh about how to handle the financial future of the city. Councilors — particularly Hogan, a mayoral candidate — have painted a dire landscape for the city’s financial future.

2 months ago | centralcurrent.org | Maximilian Eyle |Chris Libonati

When you visit our website today, you will notice some striking changes: the layout will be cleaner, the photography more pronounced, the colors more welcoming, and the logo transformed. Over the coming weeks and months, you will see our content expand as new contributors join our team and new features appear on the site. Today’s launch marks the culmination of nearly a year of planning, but it is also just the first of many steps forward leading into the summer months.

2 months ago | centralcurrent.org | Chris Libonati

On Thursday, May 29th our newsroom staff will interview candidates running in this year’s Democratic primary for the Syracuse mayoral nomination. The event is free and open to the public, and audience members will also have an opportunity to ask questions of the candidates. This forum is designed to help voters prepare for the Democratic primary election which will be held on June 24th. All candidates who have filed the necessary signatures to earn a ballot line will be invited to attend.