Syracuse, NY - The Greater Syracuse Labor Council is organizing a demonstration at noon today outside Syracuse City Hall to protest Common Council's forgiving a $216,000 debt the the Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce owed to the city. With Mayor Stephanie Miner's support, Common Council voted 7-2 in March to eliminate an electric bill the chamber owed for the Syracuse...
Syracuse, NY - The Greater Syracuse Labor Council is organizing a demonstration at noon today outside Syracuse City Hall to protest Common Council's forgiving a $216,000 debt the the Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce owed to the city.
With Mayor Stephanie Miner's support, Common Council voted 7-2 in March to eliminate an electric bill the chamber owed for the Syracuse Technology Garden, a downtown office building with 30 technology company startups for tenants.
The bill was run up over five years during the administration of then-Mayor Matt Driscoll because of a mix-up over an electric meter in the city-owned parking garage under the Tech Garden.
The labor council’s leaders have criticized the deal in light of the fact that the chamber paid its former president, Darlene Kerr, more than $260,000 a year.
Kerr resigned when the chamber merged recently with the Metropolitan Development Association and adopted a new name, CenterState Corporation for Economic Opportunity.
Councilor Bill Ryan called forgiveness of the debt a "wedding present" to ensure the merger of the chamber and the MDA.
Kevin Schwab, communications director for CenterState, has said financial problems at the chamber made it impossible to pay the bill. He said those problems are being addressed by the new organization, starting with the elimination of $650,000 in salaries.
Common Council agreed to forgive the debt as long as the chamber or its successor does not sell the building at 235 Harrison St. for a profit within 10 years, something city officials have said they do not expect to happen.