Onondaga County Legislature approves $1.4B budget for 2023

The Onondaga County Legislature approved a $1.4 billion budget for 2023 on Tuesday afternoon.

Sixteen legislators voted to approve the budget. Only one legislator, Bill Kinne, voted against the budget.

County spending will increase by 3.4% next year. The Department of Child and Family Services, the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office, and Water and Environment Protection all received spending increases in the budget.

The spending increases are partially funded by an increase in projected revenue for 2023. Onondaga County is projected to collect 16.4% more money from sales taxes in 2023 than it did in 2020.

Five county departments individually account for at least 5% of the county’s budget. Each of those departments cost more than $80 million to fund. They are:

• Department of Social Services
• Department of Child and Family Services
• Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office
• Water and Environment Protection
• Health Department

Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon proposed his budget in September. The Onondaga County Legislature held meetings and hearings for about three weeks afterward.

Legislators approved several amendments to the budget proposed by McMahon. They added the following items to the budget:

• $50,000 for capital improvements at the Museum of Science and Technology
• $30,000 for deer and tick data collection and 4-H youth development
• $10,000 more for the Onondaga Major Felony Unit as part of the Stop DWI program
• $50,000 for the Syracuse Police Athletic League
• $50,000 for the Syracuse Northeast Community Center’s supported employment program
• Additional $100,000 for the water chestnut mitigation program
• $106,223 for two additional clerks at the Onondaga County Board of Elections
• $25,000 for first responder recruitment and retention
• $5,000 for the Juneteenth celebration

Legislators reduced spending in other parts of the budget to accommodate the increases.