Syracuse seeks first permit fee hike in 30 years to boost revenue

A Syracuse homeowner filing for a deck, a landlord seeking apartment work or a contractor pulling multiple permits could soon pay more at City Hall, as code enforcement leaders pushed to update a fee schedule that has not changed in 30 years.

Deputy Commissioner Jake Dishaw said the Syracuse Division of Code Enforcement would also add zoning fees if the new schedule is approved. Dishaw said those zoning charges alone could generate “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in potential revenue, giving the city a new stream at a time when Mayor Ben Walsh’s proposed $348.4 million fiscal 2026 budget was built on stagnant revenue projections.

Walsh’s budget, which covers July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026, added more code enforcement inspectors and expanded permit-review capacity to keep pace with housing and economic-development activity across Syracuse and Onondaga County. The spending plan recognized that more development brings more plan reviews, inspections and zoning decisions, especially as projects move through City Hall and the permit process.

But the Syracuse Common Council later cut more than $600,000 from code-related spending. Those cuts included two inspector positions, a zoning director, a senior project manager for permitting and half of the funding for third-party plan reviews. Dishaw warned the reductions would slow permitting and other services, underscoring the gap between the city’s revenue needs and its staffing levels.

That leaves a central policy question as the council heads toward its final budget vote on May 8 at Syracuse City Hall: will higher permit and zoning fees buy faster inspections, stronger code enforcement and a smoother review process, or will they simply help plug a budget hole? The answer matters for residents and businesses waiting on approvals, especially in neighborhoods where construction and rehabilitation work are already putting pressure on the system.

The city has already moved to toughen code enforcement in other ways. Syracuse advanced legislation allowing unpaid code violation tickets to be added to property tax bills, a step meant to improve collections and accountability. Together with the proposed fee hike, the move signals a broader effort to make the city’s code and permitting machinery pay for more of itself while officials try to manage growth without adding to the tax burden.

A public hearing on the 2025-26 city budget is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 29, in Syracuse City Hall chambers. After that, council members will decide whether the first permit fee increase in three decades becomes part of the city’s next financial plan.