Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney says the recent lawsuit between the city of Syracuse and the developers of the Inner Harbor project hurts Central New York. The city sued COR Development after COR went to the Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency for tax breaks on the project. The city said the developer agree to not seek tax breaks from the county. But earlier this week, a judge dismissed the suit, saying there was no proof of an agreement.
Mahoney says ultimately litigation like this, sends a negative message to anyone that wants to do business in Syracuse.
“I have, and a lot of other people in this community have, had to work around the reputation we’ve created for ourselves,” said Mahoney. “It’s just fighting for the sake of fighting, and obstruction and division and we’re not accomplishing when all of that is going on. The news is about the lawsuit, not about what is actually happening at the Inner Harbor.”
Mahoney is urging Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner to not appeal the judge’s ruling. She believes the continued legal battles don’t accomplish anything.
"My concern is that it just doesn’t end,” she said. “The city just seems willing to fire off lawsuits. They’re expensive, they’re time consuming, and ultimately they can kill projects.”
