The Onondaga County Legislature voted to approve a 2022 budget, but the spending plan looks different from the version put forward by County Executive Ryan McMahon.
“If we have to go to the legislature to talk about it a couple of times, that’s OK,” McMahon said. “We’ve been waiting over a month now to talk to them about it.”
McMahon’s proposed $85 million aquarium and $25 million sports complex did not make the cut for the legislature’s final vote.
Instead, the projects were pushed back to a later date, with the legislature putting aside funding into a contingency fund. That means McMahon will need to come back to the legislative body for the money.
“It’s not ideal,” Minority Leader Linda Ervin said. “There’s absolutely more we can be doing moving forward.”
The plan was to spend some of $60 million in surplus money on the aquarium and American Rescue Plan funds on the sports complex.
Other parts of McMahon’s proposed budget remained intact, including a tax rate of $4.79 per thousand, a 20 cent decrease from the current rate.
Also approved was $15 million for broadband high-speed internet, and $5 million for the Main Street program.
