Onondaga County’s 2020 budget deficit exceeds $26 million

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Onondaga County this week received a sales-tax payment of more than $5 million, leaving the sales-tax deficit in the county’s 2020 budget at more than $26 million.

The $5 million represents a “cleanup payment” for the month of June and reflects a more than $475,000 decrease year over year, the office of Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon said in a news release.

“Each sales tax payment we receive continues to demonstrate the real and critical need for help from our partners in the federal government,” McMahon said. “This revenue loss is because were told by, and agreed with, our federal and state partners that the economy needed to be shut down for a period of time to help starve this virus. Onondaga County has a proud tradition of strong fiscal discipline, but without action from Congress the very workforce and services that helped our community get through this pandemic are on the line.”

The next sales tax payment is expected in September, “though subject to change,” his office added.