Syracuse is about to get a massive injection of cash; How does Ben Walsh want to spend it? Updated Mar 09, 2021; Posted Mar 09, 2021 Syracuse City Mayor Ben Walsh delivers his 2021 State of the City address at the Salt City Market, Syracuse, N.Y., Thursday Jan. 21, 2021. Scott Schild | sschild@syracuse.comScott Schild | sschild@syracuse. Facebook Share Syracuse, N.Y. — The city of Syracuse is poised to receive $126 million in Covid-19 relief from the federal government, one of the biggest infusions of cash in city history. The money, however, comes after a year that punished the city’s bottom line. Mayor Ben Walsh had to slash $18 million in spending last year and expects to dip heavily into the city’s rainy day fund to deal with mounting losses from the pandemic.