Ben Walsh vetoed a Syracuse mural, then put aside $250K for…murals. Why?

"Syracuse Trailblazers" mural

An artist's rendering shows the proposed Syracuse mural that would feature four of the city’s most significant basketball stars: Breanna Stewart, Earl Lloyd Jr., Dolph Schayes and Manny Breland.

Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh wants to spend $250,000 in Covid-19 relief money on public art, a move that has critics scratching their heads after he previously said a proposed downtown mural wouldn’t be eligible for the money.

Walsh included the art money in a plan he unveiled Friday, outlining how Syracuse would spend $123 million that the city is due to receive from the American Rescue Plan passed by Congress in March.

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