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3 days ago | 
centralcurrent.org | Chris Libonati |Eddie Velazquez |Patrick McCarthy |Patrick Mccarthy
Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens has won the Democratic primary for mayor, according to preliminary election results published by the Onondaga County Board of Elections. Owens on Tuesday night gave her victory speech at Attilio’s Restaurant & Bar at around 10:45 p.m. She had tallied more than 4,700 votes — more than half of the 7,696 voters who showed up for the mayoral primary — according to the Board of Elections’ preliminary results.
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1 week ago | 
centralcurrent.org | Eddie Velazquez |Patrick McCarthy |Patrick Mccarthy
Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of stories explaining how the federal government’s shift in climate change policy could affect New York state’s efforts to deal with the effects of climate change. New York state lawmakers passed a landmark bill late last year that would make polluter companies pay into a fund that would fortify the state’s defenses against the effects of climate change. But legal challenges are stalling the creation of that fund.
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4 weeks ago | 
centralcurrent.org | Patrick McCarthy |Patrick Mccarthy |Chris Libonati
Tensions between city officials and the Common Council undergirded much of the discourse in a Thursday Democratic mayoral debate between Councilors Pat Hogan, Chol Majok and Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens. The candidates are competing for the Democratic line in Syracuse’s mayoral race. Primary day is June 24. Hogan won the Democratic designation in March, while Owens won the Working Families Party line, opening the door for an independent run in the general election should she lose the primary.
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1 month ago | 
centralcurrent.org | Eddie Velazquez |Patrick McCarthy |Patrick Mccarthy
Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York state Legislature leaders plan to allocate at least $50 million to the Housing Access Voucher Program, Hochul and other legislative leaders said Tuesday. The initiative, modeled after the federal Section 8 program, could help low-income New Yorkers secure permanent housing.
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2 months ago | 
centralcurrent.org | Eddie Velazquez |Patrick McCarthy |Patrick Mccarthy
Section 8 is the latest federal program to find itself in the Trump administration’s crosshairs. The president will soon submit his budget proposal to Congress. The New York Times has reported that his budget is likely to include substantial proposed cuts to the country’s housing voucher program, widely known as Section 8. National advocates, local advocates and elected leaders believe any cuts to the Section 8 program could be disastrous for Syracuse.
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Feb 20, 2025 | 
centralcurrent.org | Chris Libonati |Patrick McCarthy |Patrick Mccarthy
Mayor Ben Walsh called for change from Syracuse Housing Authority leadership following a Thursday meeting of the SHA’s Board of Commissioners. While Walsh was adamant Executive Director Bill Simmons’ leadership needed to be reviewed, he stopped short of calling on SHA’s board to get rid of Simmons. That callout may have fallen on unhearing ears. When reporters told Simmons that Walsh said he had no confidence in SHA’s leadership, Simmons dismissed the comment.
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Feb 3, 2025 | 
centralcurrent.org | Eddie Velazquez |Patrick McCarthy |Patrick Mccarthy
The Syracuse Common Council voted Monday to withdraw a local law that would enact “good cause” eviction protections for city tenants. For some councilors, Monday’s meeting casts heavy doubts on the future of tenants protections. Patrona Jones-Rowser, a Democrat who chairs the council’s committee on housing and homelessness, said the local law would be pulled for “further investigation.” Councilors voted 5-4 in favor of withdrawing the measure.
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Jan 17, 2025 | 
centralcurrent.org | Patrick McCarthy |Patrick Mccarthy
Understanding just how much federal funding flows into Syracuse’s coffers will be critical in the coming years, Syracuse Auditor Alex Marion wrote in a report released Thursday.
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Jan 16, 2025 | 
centralcurrent.org | Patrick McCarthy |Patrick Mccarthy
Mayor Ben Walsh used his last State of the City address to tout wins in infrastructure, housing and neighborhood development while charting the steps his administration has taken toward fiscal sustainability. The mayor’s call for achieving fiscal sustainability comes as Walsh’s administration is set to draft a budget for the next fiscal year that is expected to carry a $20 million structural deficit.
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Jan 16, 2025 | 
centralcurrent.org | Patrick McCarthy |Patrick Mccarthy
Tim Rudd, the city’s budget director and a lifelong Democrat, will leave his post as Mayor Ben Walsh’s budget director to run for mayor as a Republican. Rudd has also submitted his resignation from his post as budget director, effective March 18. His decision to run for mayor means Rudd will face one of his current bosses, Democrat and Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens. Rudd previously donated $1,000 to Owens’ campaign, which he had also worked on.
