Editor’s note: Central Current is publishing question-and-answer stories for two Common Council candidates — Hanah Ehrenreich and Hasahn Bloodworth. The incumbent candidates, Amir Gethers and Rasheada Caldwell, did not return questionnaires sent by Central Current.
Hanah Ehrenreich is seeking one of the two at-large seats on the Syracuse Common Council up for grabs this November.
Ehrenreich is running in the June primary to appear on the ballot as a Democrat against incumbent councilors Rasheada Caldwell and Amir Gethers, and challenger Hasahn Bloodworth.
Ehrenreich is the former director of development at the Jowonio School, an alternative, nonprofit school that aims to bring an individualized approach to education for preschool children. Ehrenreich previously founded Sustainable Sandhills, a North Carolina nonprofit aiming to build climate-resilient resources in a nine-county area in the state.
Ehrenreich is a self-described progressive policymaker. She has been endorsed by Eleanor’s Legacy, a nonprofit that supports women running for office on a pro-choice platform, and the Upstate Progressive PAC . The Working Families Party has also endorsed Ehrenreich.
Her father — Ron Ehrenreich, the founding CEO of the nonprofit development organization and credit union Syracuse Cooperative Federal Credit Union — was the vice presidential candidate for the Socialist Party USA in the 1988 presidential election, as the running mate of Willa Kenoyer.
Ehrenreich is a Westcott resident, Nottingham High School graduate, and a mother.
Central Current asked the four candidates six questions about the issues facing the city. Below are Ehrenreich’s responses.
Central Current: “Good cause” eviction protections are up for a vote at the next council meeting. How would you vote on it and why?
Hanah Ehrenreich: Keeping individuals and families stable in their homes is critical to our community’s safety and stability. Good Cause Eviction is common sense; tenants in good standing can renew leases, it allows for reasonable but not excessive rent increases, and protects tenants against retaliation when a Code Enforcement call is warranted.
I believe we need to support our neighbors who are renters. And as the owner of a rental property, I know that this is the right thing to do.
Syracuse must address out of control rents and rising homelessness. The housing supply in the city is limited, and we need more of it. For now, keeping good tenants in good housing is the no. 1 that will also keep kids in schools. Passing Good Cause Eviction protects tenants, provides stability, and prevents homelessness.
Over the last 23 years, the Syracuse Police Department has exceeded its overtime budget by more than $30 million. How would you stop this?
HE: Over the last 23 years, Syracuse taxpayers have paid for more than $30 million in police overtime overruns. Something is not working. We need to continue to invest in public safety strategies that are proven to be effective.
We need to keep our critical response teams to handle mental health crises, substance use, and wellness checks. We need to continue to train on de-escalation and violence prevention.
That means long-term funding for youth programs to combat disconnection, community engagement, and neighborhood-based intervention efforts.
At the same time, we must recruit and retain enough police officers to ensure fast, appropriate responses to our neighbor’s safety needs and large-scale disasters. Solutions could mean hiring civilians where possible, and ensuring police staffing levels are sufficient to prevent overtime shifts.
The council should review ways the city and police can generate revenue to cover the cost of additional police shifts, and reapportion resources to better cover the budget.
There are legitimate and credible threats from rising white nationalism and well-funded networks that traffick people and hard drugs. The Syracuse Police Department must be prepared to address serious and violent crime, sustain safety and foster trust in our neighborhoods, and meet the strictures of the city’s budget.
The safest communities aren’t the ones with the most overtime hours, they’re the ones that provide the most opportunity for kids and the least opportunity for gangs.
Would you pursue property tax assessment revaluation? Why or why not?
HE: Yes, I would pursue a citywide property tax revaluation. It is a necessary step, and it is the responsibility of the Common Council to carry it out with transparency and engagement. Syracuse is operating in a challenging fiscal environment.
Our ability to plan responsibly and equitably depends on having accurate, up-to-date information about property values. The property tax revaluation is the best tool we have to correct outdated and inconsistent assessments.
Without revaluation, similar homes in different neighborhoods can be taxed at wildly different rates, placing an unfair burden on some residents.
With accurate data, we can design tax policies that promote affordability, support long-term homeowners, and reduce displacement.
A comprehensive revaluation would bring fairness and consistency to the property tax system. This allows the city to create an equitable and stable revenue base. It also gives policymakers and residents clearer insight into where value is concentrated and where investment is needed.
We also need to rethink how Syracuse funds city services. Many major institutions, such as Syracuse University and SUNY Upstate, are tax-exempt but rely heavily on city services. A revaluation gives us the data to pursue stronger agreements with these institutions, where everyone contributes their fair share.
Do you believe city spending needs to be reined in? Why or why not?
HE: I don’t believe “reined in” is the right framework for thinking about city spending. That phrase implies that spending is inherently out of control or wasteful, which oversimplifies the real challenge.
What we need is not arbitrary cuts, but smarter, more effective spending. Running a city takes people: qualified, experienced, and committed public servants. It takes investments in infrastructure, open space, public safety, housing, education, and the systems that keep a city moving.
Being a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars means ensuring those dollars are spent where they make the biggest impact, not just where it’s easiest to cut. Of course, we should always seek efficiency, and we must hold departments accountable for delivering real results.
Austerity is not a strategy. You can’t cut your way to a thriving city. We must invest in our human capital and in long-term systems that create opportunity, especially in underserved neighborhoods. When a program isn’t delivering outcomes, we shouldn’t just defund it. We should reimagine it. What’s the better strategy? What’s the smarter solution?
Our job isn’t just to reduce spending. It’s to align it with our community’s priorities and values. That means evaluating based on outcomes, not just outputs. We should measure success by how well we’re solving problems, not just how little we spend doing it.
A strong city budget reflects vision, discipline, and the creativity to invest where it matters most. Syracuse can’t be a city governed by limits. It needs to be a city governed by impact.
How would you increase revenue to keep pace with city spending?
HE: City revenue cannot continue to rely on just 47% of tax-paying properties. This puts an unsustainable burden on a limited group of residents and small businesses, while many institutions that benefit from city services contribute nothing in return. We need a smarter, fairer system where everyone who uses city services helps pay for them.
One solution is to negotiate stronger and more consistent agreements with large tax-exempt institutions such as hospitals, universities, and nonprofit property owners. These organizations depend on city infrastructure, emergency services, and sanitation. Fair contributions from them can generate new revenue without increasing taxes on our residents.
We also need to grow our tax base through intentional development. This includes making the most of zoning that supports mixed-use and multi-family housing, making better use of vacant land, and streamlining the permitting process to attract new investment.
Prioritizing departments like planning, zoning, and code enforcement will help remove barriers to responsible development and bring new properties onto the tax rolls.
At the same time, the Common Council must lead with vision. Our goal is a Syracuse with safe, beautiful streets, dynamic and effective schools, and a thriving local economy that welcomes all cultures.
A city that is resilient in the face of climate change, political shifts, and economic instability. To achieve that, we must invest in the departments and strategies that create both quality of life and long-term financial sustainability. Growth follows vision, and revenue follows growth that is smart, inclusive, and well-planned.
What would you do to ensure more affordable housing is built in Syracuse?
HE: Housing is a public good, like education, child care, and transportation. Without access to stable, affordable homes, Syracuse cannot retain workers, grow its tax base, or build vibrant, walkable neighborhoods.
To ensure more affordable housing is built, I would advocate for policies that treat housing as essential infrastructure and leverage new state and federal funding opportunities to close financing gaps that stall construction.
New York state is exploring public financing tools that allow municipalities to partner with developers to create mixed-income and affordable housing where the market alone isn’t delivering. I would work with city staff and housing advocates to bring these tools to Syracuse.
At the local level, I would prioritize first-time homebuyers across income levels by supporting down payment assistance programs, low-interest mortgage options, and other models that reduce barriers to homeownership.
Subsidized rental housing must also be part of the equation, and I would push for mixed-income developments that include long-term affordability protections and equitable tenant protections.
I am an advocate for creating homeownership pathways for families transitioning out of public housing through lease-to-own models. If you can afford rent every month, you can afford a mortgage and those payments should count toward your credit score.
We have a real opportunity to grow walkable-scale housing, including multi-units that are friendly to first time homebuyers and families looking to downsize, like duplexes, fourplexes, and courtyard apartments. But we must reduce red tape for affordable projects.
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