Matt Rayo

Don’t forget to vote! Thank you for your support!

Matt Rayo & Joe Rotondo Remind You to VOTE! from Matt Rayo on Vimeo.

I would like to thank the Post Standard for their endorsement today. The Editorial Board does a great service to our community by arranging to meet with candidates for public office up and down the ticket, interviewing them about the important issues, and thoughtfully weighing in before the election. It is not an easy task and I appreciate the work that they do. Read the endorsement at the Post Standard.

Today, the Common Council was scheduled to vote on a proposal to purchase new vehicles for the Syracuse Police Department. The vote was postponed after an amendment was passed that would limit the ability of the Police Department to buy the vehicles that they determined would be required to protect and serve the people of Syracuse. I voted against the amendment because I support giving the police the tools that they need to do their job and I don’t believe that it is appropriate for the Council to attempt to micromanage police operations. Read the story at the Post-Standard.

UPDATE (10/18): The Common Council and the Mayor have reached an agreement to purchase the vehicles requested by the Police Department. Read the story at YNN.

Today, Sarah McIlvain, my appointment to the Syracuse Citizen Review Board, was sworn into office by City Clerk John Copanas in Council Chambers at City Hall. The Citizen Review Board is a body that is charged to investigate complaints of police misconduct and provides civilian oversight over the Syracuse Police Department.

A letter signed by all members of the Syracuse Common Council, including me, appeared today in the Syracuse Post Standard. It is reproduced below:

As the elected legislative body of the city of Syracuse, the Common Council is responsible for adopting the city budget. It is a complex balancing act between projecting revenues and identifying expenses while providing services to our citizens. With that responsibility comes the obligation to reflect the values of the people of Syracuse.

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Several months ago, an RFP (request for proposal) Committee was formed to review proposals from four different companies hoping to contract with the city of Syracuse to provide taxi service at the Syracuse Hancock International Airport, as the current contract is nearing its end. That committee reviewed the bids and made its selection, a decision which then moved to the Common Council for approval. Several members of the Council disapproved of the selection because they felt the current provider should remain in place, even though their proposal was not the best deal for the city. I don’t believe anyone is entitled to a future city contract just because they have the current contract for the service. I also believe the RFP process is an appropriate way to determine who should receive a city contract. Unfortunately, my colleagues disagreed with me and I was the lone vote in favor of the new contract, which was defeated 8-1 on the Council.

In this particular instance, the Mayor has the authority to enter into a contract without the approval of the Council, so she went ahead and contracted with the RFP Committee’s selection, even though the Council voted it down. The Mayor believes it was in the best interest of the City of Syracuse. I agree. Read the story at the Post-Standard.

The Common Council voted today to raise taxes on city residents to pay for elevator repairs instead of finding the money elsewhere in the budget to cover the costs. Joined by three of my colleagues, I voted against the increase, which passed 5-4, in part because the charge was “hidden” on the city/county abstract. Charges from the abstract appear on the tax bill that taxpayers receive from Onondaga County, though only residents of the City of Syracuse pay those charges. I believe that this mechanism of raising taxes on city residents through their county tax bill makes city operations less transparent and sets an unfortunate precedent that opens the door to more “hidden charges” in the future. Read the story at the Daily Orange.

In preparation for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade this weekend, I participated in the annual Painting of the Stripe Ceremony on North Salina St, along with several other local officials, including County Executive Joanie Mahoney, Deputy Mayor John Cowin, 2nd District Councilor Pat Hogan and the Parade’s Grand Marshal, Capt. Richard Walsh.

Read Across America Day is celebrated every year on the birthday of children’s author Dr. Seuss. This year, I had the opportunity to participate in the festivities at White Branch Library. I would like to thank the Literacy Coalition of Onondaga County and White Branch Library for hosting such a wonderful event.