Will the financial recovery plan of SUNY ESF address its significant financial losses or potentially exacerbate the situation?
In a recent email titled 'Important Budget Updates', SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry President Joanie Mahoney announced the need for the school to trim $3 million in salary expenses in the 2026-27 academic year.
The primary focus of expense trimming will be on reducing salary expenses, with a voluntary buyout program for older, more experienced staff members being the first step. This program is aimed at addressing the need for salary expense reduction in the upcoming academic year.
The voluntary buyout program is targeted at older, more experienced staff members, who are encouraged to opt into the separation program. While no publicly available information exists about which employees have chosen to participate, the program is intended to help the school address its budget issues.
The school may take further steps to reduce salary expenses beyond the voluntary buyout program. However, details about these potential measures have not been disclosed.
Elsewhere in Syracuse, the city is facing its own set of challenges. A lead testing fiasco has been reported, and the cost to fix crumbling stairs near Syracuse University has nearly tripled to $3M. It remains unclear if the city council will consider this cost.
Meanwhile, Syracuse lawmakers have approved the sale of a former fire station, where apartments and an eatery are planned. The sale is expected to generate revenue for the city.
In a separate development, Syracuse may pay $110K to a passenger of a drunk driver who hit a recycling truck. The incident has raised questions about the city's liability insurance.
Additionally, allegations have surfaced that the Syracuse Republican used homeless people to gain a tax-funded campaign boost. The party has yet to comment on these claims.
As the city and the university navigate these challenges, the voluntary buyout program at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry represents one of the measures being taken to address budget issues. The school continues to encourage eligible staff members to consider the buyout program as a means of helping the institution manage its expenses in the coming academic year.
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