Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.
State comptroller audit finds Elbridge town officials didn’t ensure payroll payments were accurate
ELBRIDGE — A recent audit of the Town of Elbridge by the Office of New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli found that town officials did not ensure that all payroll payments were accurate, supported, and authorized, and that leave-accrual records were maintained accurately. Auditors determined that the town supervisor approved payroll without having any […]
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
ELBRIDGE — A recent audit of the Town of Elbridge by the Office of New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli found that town officials did not ensure that all payroll payments were accurate, supported, and authorized, and that leave-accrual records were maintained accurately.
Auditors determined that the town supervisor approved payroll without having any information regarding the numbers of hours that employees worked, the leave time that they used, or their leave-accrual balances, according to the audit report. Staff were also unaware of all the provisions of the collective-bargaining agreement and the town’s employee handbook that affect leave-accrual records. The handbook did not require salaried employees to prepare time sheets or timecards.
As a result, seven full-time employees of the Town of Elbridge with 2024 salaries totaling $238,569 did not prepare time records to document their days and hours worked and leave accruals that they used, the report stated.
The comptroller’s auditors also found that the town paid a $2,600 health-insurance buyout payment without formal board authorization and a retention incentive that exceeded the board’s authorization by $1,000.
Leave-accrual records were also improperly maintained. As a result, town employees were credited with leave time to which they were not entitled, per the comptroller’s office.
The audit period covered Jan. 1, 2023 to July 26, 2024, and the comptroller’s office extended its audit period to review the town’s payroll cycle through January 2025.
The audit report includes nine recommendations that, if implemented, will help the Town of Elbridge board and town officials improve their payroll and leave-accrual processes.
“Town officials agreed with our recommendations and indicated they plan to initiate corrective action,” the comptroller’s office said.
The town of Elbridge is located in western Onondaga County, bordering Cayuga County, and has a population of about 5,500.
KeyCorp to start buying back shares in 2nd half of year
KeyCorp (NYSE: KEY) in mid-March announced that its board of directors has authorized a share-repurchase program in which KeyCorp may buy back up to $1 billion worth of its common stock, in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions. KeyCorp — parent company of KeyBank, the No. 2 bank ranked by deposit market share
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
KeyCorp (NYSE: KEY) in mid-March announced that its board of directors has authorized a share-repurchase program in which KeyCorp may buy back up to $1 billion worth of its common stock, in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions.
KeyCorp — parent company of KeyBank, the No. 2 bank ranked by deposit market share in the 16-county Central New York region — says it intends to begin repurchasing shares in the second half of 2025. The timing and price of repurchases, as well as the actual number of shares bought back under the program, will be at the discretion of KeyCorp and will depend on a variety of factors, it said. That includes general market conditions, the stock price, regulatory requirements and limitations, corporate liquidity requirements and priorities, and other factors, KeyCorp explained.
Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial-services companies, with assets of about $187 billion as of the end of 2024. Its roots trace back 200 years to Albany. KeyBank has a network of about 1,000 branches and about 1,200 ATMs in 15 states.
Onondaga County hotel occupancy rises slightly in March
SYRACUSE — Onondaga County hotels registered a small increase in guests in March as two other key indicators of business performance posted stronger gains. The hotel-occupancy rate (rooms sold as a percentage of rooms available) in Central New York’s largest county rose 1.6 percent to 58.1 percent in the third month of 2025, compared to
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
SYRACUSE — Onondaga County hotels registered a small increase in guests in March as two other key indicators of business performance posted stronger gains.
The hotel-occupancy rate (rooms sold as a percentage of rooms available) in Central New York’s largest county rose 1.6 percent to 58.1 percent in the third month of 2025, compared to March 2024, according to STR, a Tennessee–based hotel market data and analytics company. Year to date through March 31, occupancy edged down 0.6 percent to 51.8 percent.
Revenue per available room (RevPar), an industry gauge that measures how much money hotels are bringing in per available room, increased 6.9 percent to $72.01 in Onondaga County this March from a year ago. In the first quarter of 2025, RevPar was up by 4.1 percent to $62.38.
Average daily rate (or ADR), which represents the average rental rate for a sold room, gained 5.2 percent to $123.99 in March versus the year-prior month, STR reports. Year to date through the month of March, ADR was higher by 4.7 percent to $120.35.
Jefferson County hotel occupancy falls in March
WATERTOWN — Jefferson County hotels saw a decline in overnight guests in March, even as two other important indicators of hotel-business performance were mixed in
New Utica Children’s Museum opens
UTICA, N.Y. — Construction has wrapped up on the new $8 million Utica Children’s Museum, which is part of an overall $14 million ICAN Family
OCC to use Matthews Auto donated car to help auto-tech students learn repair work
ONONDAGA, N.Y. — The automotive-technology program at Onondaga Community College (OCC) is using a new teaching tool. In conjunction with Nissan North America, the Matthews Auto family of dealerships has donated a 2025 Infiniti QX60. It’s a three-row luxury SUV loaded with options, which OCC’s automotive-technology students will be able to work on and learn
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
ONONDAGA, N.Y. — The automotive-technology program at Onondaga Community College (OCC) is using a new teaching tool.
In conjunction with Nissan North America, the Matthews Auto family of dealerships has donated a 2025 Infiniti QX60. It’s a three-row luxury SUV loaded with options, which OCC’s automotive-technology students will be able to work on and learn from.
“The new technology students will experience while working on this vehicle will provide them with real-life applications as they go into the workforce,” Jon Seargent, program coordinator of OCC’s automotive-technology program, said in an announcement.
For students in automotive-technology programs, it’s a “luxury” to work on vehicles with the latest technology, and Seargent already has plans for how he and fellow professors will “make the most of the opportunity.”
“We’ll plant ‘electrical bugs’ in it and ask students to diagnose the problem. We’ll present them with real-world scenarios that will prepare them for rewarding careers as auto technicians,” Seargent said.
“The ultimate goal is to invest in the future technicians of the communities we operate in,” Vinnie Salvagni, COO of Matthews Auto, said in the OCC announcement. “We had an opportunity to step up and give young techs live experience on new vehicles at our expense. Perhaps down the line, some of these students will end up with a Matthews name tag.”
Ultimately, two academic programs at OCC will benefit from the donation. Several years from now, when the technology in the Infiniti QX60 has become outdated, its main components, such as the engine and transmission, will be removed for auto-tech students to work on and learn from.
OCC will turn the remainder of the vehicle over to its fire-protection technology degree program, where students will learn from mock accidents, extrications, and live-fire exercises.
Bassett, Oneonta Family YMCA extend lease at FoxCare Center
ONEONTA, N.Y. — Bassett Healthcare Network and the Oneonta Family YMCA have announced they are extending their lease agreement at FoxCare Center in Oneonta for
Southern Tier IDAs announce the New York Southern Tier Cleantech Strategy
Southern Tier regional economic-development leaders on Tuesday released what they’re calling a “blueprint” on how the region can “cement its role” in upstate New York’s
Christopher Community Inc. names new president and CEO
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Christopher Community, Inc. (CCI) says it has appointed Jeffrey Eysaman as its new president and CEO. Eysaman, who started in the new role April 23, succeeds Justin Rudgick, who departed CCI earlier in the year to pursue other opportunities, a spokesman tells CNYBJ in an email. The nonprofit Christopher Community, Inc. is
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Christopher Community, Inc. (CCI) says it has appointed Jeffrey Eysaman as its new president and CEO.
Eysaman, who started in the new role April 23, succeeds Justin Rudgick, who departed CCI earlier in the year to pursue other opportunities, a spokesman tells CNYBJ in an email.
The nonprofit Christopher Community, Inc. is a housing development and management organization that manages more than 3,300 units across 70 properties across Central and Western New York.
As president and CEO, Eysaman will oversee the overall management, operations, and strategic direction of Christopher Community. He will lead the organization in executing its mission and vision, promoting growth and sustainability, and ensuring financial health and operational efficiency, CCI said.
Eysaman most recently served as executive director of the Thomas M. Menino YMCA in Boston between 2024 and 2025. His time in Boston followed leadership roles with the YMCA of Central New York, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Syracuse, and Peaceful Schools. His career has centered on creating inclusive, supportive environments for underserved communities throughout New York and beyond, CCI said.
His achievements include being a TEDx speaker at Onondaga Community College in 2018, receiving the New York State Senate Certificate of Achievement for Outstanding Civic Virtue from Senator Rachel May (D–Syracuse) in 2019, and graduating from the LeadForward Leadership Program in 2022 and the YMCA of the USA Emerging Global Leaders Institute in 2023.
Eysaman earned bachelor’s degree in history and political science from The College of Saint Rose.
“I’m honored to return to a community that means so much to me, and I’m deeply grateful for the chance to lead an organization committed to ensuring safe, affordable housing for those who need it most,” Eysaman said in the CCI announcement. “Together with our dedicated team, I look forward to building solutions that strengthen lives and neighborhoods across Central New York.”
Morrisville, Canton among SUNY campuses awarded green-workforce grants
MORRISVILLE, N.Y. — SUNY Morrisville and SUNY Canton are among the SUNY campuses awarded a total of $2.6 million in the Green Workforce Grant program.
Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.