Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon touted the county’s achievements and discussed the power of collaboration between county and city governments on Tuesday in his “State of the County” address.

City, county and state government officials including Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh and former County Executive Joanie Mahoney attended the address at Le Moyne College. McMahon replaced Mahoney after she announced in late September that she would be leaving to join SUNY-ESF as its chief operating officer.

McMahon said in his address that the county is in a strong fiscal position. Onondaga County spent $8 million less than it budgeted for in 2018, McMahon said, adding that sales tax growth exceeded the county’s expectations.

The county ultimately ran a $5.7 million surplus in 2018, which will be put in a county reserve account, McMahon said. The county’s reserve funds now total $71 million, he said.

“This is an important milestone for us, as we have weathered the storm of stagnant growth while at the same time cutting property taxes to an all-time low tax rate of $5.04 per thousand,” McMahon said. “Not many governments can say they have cut property taxes for at least eight straight years.”

Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon speaks to reporters after delivering the State of the County address at Le Moyne College. Wasim Ahmad | Staff Photographer

McMahon praised the Syracuse and Onondaga County governments’ collaborative approach over the recent sales tax sharing agreement, which will give Syracuse about a quarter of the county’s sales tax revenue through 2030. McMahon said the agreement will bolster fiscal responsibility for both governments.

The county executive also pledged to increase minority hiring in Onondaga County. By 2022, McMahon said he wants to see minority communities representing 20 percent of the county’s workforce. He said that goal exceeds minority population data.

To reach the 20 percent goal, McMahon said the county will work to recruit workers from the county’s poorest urban, suburban and rural zip codes. The county will also hire a chief diversity officer to develop best practices to diversify the county workforce and help the government and private sector when needed, he said.

“Our administration will not move backwards on this issue,” McMahon said.

McMahon did not mention county residents’ concerns over the future of the Interstate 81 viaduct replacement plans, which are currently unclear. Residents and local politicians are still waiting for a New York state Draft Environmental Impact Statement, a document that outlines the environmental costs of the viaduct replacement options on the table.

The county executive also detailed plans to partner with Walsh on his Syracuse Surge initiative, which includes investment in technology in the city’s South Side neighborhood. McMahon said a part of those efforts includes a renovation of Syracuse’s Tech Garden and the AXA Towers Plaza. The renovations should be a “priority project” for the community to help create a “true” convention center district in downtown Syracuse, he said.

Ryan McMahon said he is working to address veterans’ concerns about the cost of burial in the Onondaga County Veterans Memorial Cemetery. Wasim Ahmad | Staff Photographer

McMahon is already working on partnerships with municipalities in Onondaga County to consolidate the county’s wastewater and sewer system, which he said are leaky and need immediate attention. He said that he has already signed memorandums of understanding with officials in Manlius, Fayetteville, DeWitt and Pompey to pursue consolidation efforts in 2019.

In the short-term, McMahon said he is working to address veterans’ concerns on the cost of burial in the Onondaga County Veterans Memorial Cemetery. Currently, he said the cost of a plot in the cemetery is $500, with an additional $500 cost for spouses or dependents. McMahon said he would push legislation in the county legislature next month that would make burial in the cemetery free for veterans and their dependents.

“While we will never be able to fully repay the sacrifice and commitment they have made for us, the least we can do is make their final resting place easy and affordable,” McMahon said.

Unlike Mahoney and former Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner, who openly feuded, McMahon repeatedly praised the partnership between his administration and Walsh’s. McMahon said during the address that he wanted the city and county economic development agencies to move under one roof in the Carnegie Library building in downtown Syracuse.

McMahon said the move would send two messages:

“One, the city and county are on the same page. And two, we are open for business.”

Published on February 26, 2019 at 10:29 pm

Contact Jordan: jmulle01@syr.edu | @jordanmuller18