Syracuse’s Green Party office seekers want to see state aid return to historic levels and a new scaled local income tax on city residents and those that work in it.
Mayoral candidate Kevin Bott and Common Council hopeful Howie Hawkins say that will help solve the city’s fiscal problems.
Low wage earners would pay less than a percent on their income and it would work up to a few percentage points for higher earners, they propose.
"That’s not going to be burdensome on anyone," Bott said at press conference Wednesday. "The taxation that we can impose on an income tax can be progressive and it alleviates the burden from the regressive sales and property taxes that we now face in the city."
The pair also wants to see state revenue sharing return to decades-old levels. The amount of revenue New York shares with its biggest cities has dwindled since the 1970's from the teens to just about one percent.
"For us to say, 'pay what you promised, pay what we paid for' is not a bailout, it's fiscal justice," Hawkins said.
Bott is challenging Democratic Mayor Stephanie Miner. Hawkins is trying to win Khalid Bey’s council seat in a rematch.
You can read the candidate's full position paper here.
