Syracuse's first $300K cop, plus a $200 check for you

June is here, and summer is no longer pretending. Taste of Syracuse rolls into Clinton Square this weekend, the Mets are home all week, and the back half of the forecast cooperates. This edition: the patrolman who became Syracuse’s first $300K city employee, a $200 check headed to New Yorkers’ mailboxes, and county policies that hinge on a vote this Tuesday. Let’s get into it.

Officer John Tassini became the first city employee ever to clear $300,000 in a year, and he did it almost entirely on overtime. He logged more than 4,700 hours in 2025, which works out to roughly 13 hours a day, every day, more than tripling his $91,600 base by picking up gigs at the JMA Dome and the Centro bus hub. He was one of 27 officers who more than doubled their base pay last year. The department is now budgeted for $9.9 million in overtime, up from $7 million in 2021. Chief Mark Rusin says leadership watches heavy-overtime officers for burnout and that Tassini, with zero complaints last year, can handle the load.

The take: The real story is a shrinking department leaning on a handful of people to plug the gap, and what happens when the person making lethal-force decisions is on hour 12 of a 13-hour shift.

The state’s new $1 billion POWER program (Protecting Our Wallets Energy Rebate) will send one-time checks to about 8.2 million New Yorkers to offset rising gas and electric bills. You don’t apply. If you filed a 2024 state return, were a full-year resident, and weren’t claimed as a dependent, the check finds you automatically between September and December. Joint filers under $150,000 get $200, joint filers between $150,000 and $300,000 get $150, and single filers under $150,000 get $100. The credit is exempt from state and local income tax.

The take: A check is a check, and CNY utility bills as of late have earned the apology.

The County Legislature’s new Democratic majority advanced three charter changes out of committee, with a full vote set for Tuesday, June 2. The package would limit the county executive to three four-year terms, move legislative vacancy appointments from the executive to a full Legislature vote, and create an independent redistricting commission to take map-drawing out of politicians’ hands.

The Fayetteville-Manlius school board quietly voted on May 11 to hire an outside attorney, Randy Ray, to investigate an incident under its student harassment and bullying policy. The board never named the subject publicly, but sources say the investigation centers on Bill Aris, their cross-country and track coach, who recently stepped away from the team. Aris built a dominant high school running program, with a wall of national titles, and earned a 2015 Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame induction. The attorney is already interviewing parents of student-athletes.

The take: A nationally famous program, a beloved coach, and an investigation nobody will talk about on the record. Manlius is going to be buzzing about this one for a while.

State police raiding a Truxton home found exactly what they expected and several things they didn’t: multiple firearms, three 3D printers, spools of filament, 3D-printed ghost guns, a suppressor, a crossbow, and, for reasons unclear, three raccoons and an opossum. Investigators say the suspect, a three-time convicted felon, was manufacturing and selling untraceable guns. A co-defendant was charged after police determined two children had been left in a vehicle with access to a loaded firearm.

The take: Only in CNY does a ghost-gun operation come with its own wildlife rescue. Home-printed guns are showing up more and more across the state.

A compact band of rain and strong winds rolled through CNY between roughly 8 and 9:30 p.m. Friday, knocking out power for more than 8,300 National Grid customers across Onondaga County and leaving downed wires and damaged transformers scattered through the area.

The take: Reminder season is here. Put batteries in the flashlights, know where the candles are, and never touch a downed line.

Summer is finally holding up its end. Monday eases in around the upper 60s with just a stray chance of a shower, then Tuesday climbs into the low 70s, and Wednesday is the clear winner of the week, near 80 and dry. The back half settles into classic early-June CNY territory, highs in the 70s with the usual afternoon-shower roulette. Good news for the weekend: it’s shaping up dry and warm enough for Taste of Syracuse, the Mets, and the rest of a very full calendar.

This week’s trio comes from Helping Hounds Dog Rescue in North Syracuse, three dogs waiting on the humans who were supposed to find them.

Reba, a 6-month-old female Hound mix, is a smart, affectionate puppy who was part of a litter dumped at an elderly woman’s home. She soaks up attention from adults, plays great with kids in the 11 to 15 range, and gets along with dogs of every size. She’s even been around goats, horses, and cows without missing a beat. At 27 pounds, good in the car and crate trained, she’s still working on her housetraining but would be a great fit for a single person or a family with respectful kids.

Buck, an 8-month-old male Australian Shepherd and Hound mix, is a sweet, medium-energy puppy who does well with adults and teenagers. He hasn’t spent time around small children, but should be fine with respectful kids, and he gets along with other dogs while tending to keep to himself. At 33 pounds, he’s still learning how the world works and will thrive in a patient home willing to help him grow into his best self.

Hank, a 1-year-old male Labrador Retriever mix, is a big, goofy boy looking for his forever family. He loves to play ball, loves Kongs and enrichment toys, and already knows sit, down, and shake. At 58 pounds, he’s a smart, loving young adult who’s selective with other dogs and great with kids over 5.

Hidden Level is a Syracuse-based defense tech startup building advanced RF sensing systems for airspace awareness. They’re hiring a Staff Embedded Software Engineer to lead the design of high-performance embedded systems for drone detection and real-time surveillance. Requires 10+ years of experience and deep Python and C++ skills. Hybrid arrangements available.

The Baldwinsville brewery is hiring a Quality Analyst to run analytical testing on beer samples, conduct packaging integrity inspections, and support continuous improvement projects across the brewery. Requires a bachelor’s degree in a science field (Chemistry, Biology, Biochemistry, or similar) and comfort working in a production environment.

INFICON, the East Syracuse-based precision instrumentation company, is hiring an Electrical Engineering Manager to lead a team building sensor electronics, precision analog systems, and high-performance power supplies. Salary range is $120,000 to $165,000. Requires 7+ years in electrical engineering and 2+ years in a leadership role.

Micron is hiring an Assistant General Counsel for its Clay fab, the largest private investment in New York State history. This role advises Micron’s Global Operations team on construction, environmental permitting, government incentives (including CHIPS Act compliance), and real estate, working directly with senior leadership. Salary range is $160,000 to $281,000. Requires 5 to 10 years of commercial law experience.

That’s a wrap for this week, Syracuse. See you next Monday.