Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon discussed infrastructure, local economic initiatives and diversity in his annual State of the County address Monday.

McMahon delivered the message to about 300 county residents and officials at Onondaga Community College. The speech focused on the county’s budget and McMahon’s plans to attract tech companies to the area.

“We have a unique opportunity to build on the many successes of the past year by doubling down on the spirit of partnership and collaboration,” McMahon said.

Onondaga County saw record-low unemployment in 2019 and added more than 8,000 private sector jobs, McMahon said. The county spent $16 million less than budgeted last year, but revenue projections fell and the county anticipates a surplus of $3 million, he said.

Continued budgetary success will allow for economic growth, especially in the technology sector, McMahon said.

Plans for a large distribution center in Clay will move forward this year, and a tenant to occupy the center has been secured, McMahon said. Residents have speculated that the proposed $350 million distribution center will become home to Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer.

“I know everybody wants to focus on who the company is, but what we really need to understand is what this opportunity represents,” McMahon said.

The center will generate 1,000 full-time jobs and will turn over $28 million more to local governments over the next 15 years than the golf course currently located at the site would, McMahon said.

The county will also spend $150,000 to purchase additional tech packs for county libraries, McMahon said. The packs, which the county spent $100,000 on last year, contain a Chromebook laptop and a mobile hotspot that can be borrowed from participating libraries.

“The demand for these tech packs is high, and the response has been overwhelming,” McMahon said. Closing the digital divide will be critical to positioning the county as the potential home of industry, he said.

McMahon will work with Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh to propose a shared services agreement between the city and county’s IT departments and create a working group to assess the agreement, McMahon said.

The county will also organize plans to develop a multi-sport complex to address infrastructure needs among local, recreational, high school and club teams, McMahon said. A site for the complex, which will include multiple turf fields, a stadium and indoor space, has not yet been chosen.

The project would allow for tournaments and tourism and could add 50,000 room nights for hotels each year, McMahon said.

The county will also receive 40 acres of new waterfront property on Onondaga Lake that Honeywell International Inc. previously owned, he said. The company has been remediating pollution at the site.

“For nearly a century, county leadership has actively sought to consolidate public ownership and access to the shore of Onondaga Lake,” McMahon said. “Today, we can finally celebrate achieving this goal.”

McMahon highlighted internal improvements within the county government and efforts to diversify the county workforce. Since taking office in November 2018, minority hiring has increased by 30%, McMahon said. The county’s goal is for 20% of its workforce to be comprised of minority employees.

McMahon also proposed plans to partner with Centro and Enterprise to improve transportation services for low-income workers.

Continued initiatives to combat opioid addiction and homelessness in the county are ongoing, McMahon said.

“Let’s work together and double down on our partnerships we have made,” McMahon said. “Let’s realize that no matter who you are, where you live, the color of your skin, the name of your god, your gender or sexual orientation, we have more in common than we do differences.”

Published on February 10, 2020 at 10:57 pm

Contact Michael: msessa@syr.edu | @MichaelSessa3