Onondaga County

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon made history Thursday night, delivering his annual State of the County address at Syracuse’s STEAM High School. It was the first event held in the school’s auditorium since the school was renovated and reopened to students in September.

County Executive McMahon telling Legislators, elected officials, honored guests and all those attending that “the state of our county has never been stronger.”

“We have spent the last three years preparing to meet the moment, a moment that represents historic economic growth and opportunity for our residents” he said. “The preparation is over. The moment is now. It’s here and we are delivering results.”

County Executive McMahon spoke in-depth about his PIE Platform: addressing the root causes of poverty, investing in our infrastructure and creating real economic opportunity.

He highlighted the real tax relief his administration has been able to deliver to the taxpayers of our county. Since taking office in 2018, the county tax rate has been cut 42% to a historic low. This comes at the same time New York City and Buffalo want to crush their taxpayers with double digit tax increases.

The County Executive spoke in detail about the historic investments Onondaga County is making in its people. Over $25 million dollars has been invested in lead hazard reduction programs, and project turnaround time has been reduced dramatically from 13 months to just 8. Young people will benefit from continued funding to the county’s investment in mental health initiatives in schools. Programs for seniors and support for senior centers and agencies will also be continued.

Infrastructure is much more than roads, bridges, water, and sewer pipes: it’s quality of life, workforce development, new housing and neighborhoods and jobs. “It’s an economic strength for us in Onondaga County and we have the most transformational investments in our regions History to support the high-tech manufacturing and innovation boom we are in the midst of” County Executive McMahon said.

He shared updates on the over $100 billion investment by Micron in the Town of Clay, saying the first phase of construction for Fab 1 is complete. Grubbing and excavating work to prepare for concrete foundations is happening this year and by next year, the site will host 3,000 to 4,000 construction workers as the fab is built.

The county’s supply chain engagement efforts continue, and County Executive McMahon announced that Wonik Materials is making a multi-million-dollar investment with a new facility that will bring 100 new jobs with it. Also coming in support of the Micron project is Target Hospitality, which is also making multi-million-dollar investment. They develop high quality scalable workforce housing for the many members of the construction workforce from outside the region coming here for the Micron project. 

Speaking of housing, County Executive McMahon provided an encouraging update on the housing landscape in Onondaga County. He shared that while challenges remain, the county is also seeing real signs of progress. More than 1,700 building permits were issued in 2025, a staggering 400% increase in just two years. The most dramatic growth has come in multifamily housing with more than 1,300 new multifamily units permitted in 2025, more than double the county’s 10-year average.

County Executive McMahon said, “These numbers don’t just represent construction—they represent progress and proof that our efforts are making a real difference. We have made substantial progress and the tools we have to incentivize housing development have worked.”

The County Executive proposed targeted changes and investments that will make it easier and cheaper to build housing in Onondaga County. He also highlighted a housing project at the site of the former Hinerwadels Grove in North Syracuse. The project is the first in a new county program to promote homeownership specifically targeting Gen Z in an effort to make it more inviting for young people to live and work in our community.

WATCH: Click here to watch the speech in its entirety.

Education, Kids & Families

• School mental health: $25M+ invested in 3‑tier support initiative funded across willing districts.
• Threat assessment training: County‑funded training for teachers/staff in every district.
• Embedded Department of Children and Family Services team: Integrated with SCSD; expanding model to other districts.
• Attendance Project: Worked with 200+ students across 12 schools; ~75% attendance increase where liaisons engaged.
• Early Childhood & 2Gen Onondaga: ~250 families enrolled; 68 parents employed; 7 families off public benefits.
• Diaper Bank partnership: 456 families, 600 children served; 1M+ diapers distributed.

Health & Safety

• Opioids: 40% decrease in overdose deaths in 2024; on track to sustain 2025.
• Lead hazard reduction: 571 EPA certifications since July 2023; 125 units completed (2022–2024); $7.7M HUD grant (largest in county history); reducing turnaround from 13 months to 8.
• Windows & Doors program: 565 windows, 67 doors, 40 rental units (2025).
• Foster care lead reduction: Continued dedicated funding.
• Seniors—GoGo Grandparent: ~6,000 rides in 2025; County will fully fund after 50% State cut.
• NEW: JAMESVILLE PUBLIC SAFETY CAMPUS PROPOSAL
  • County to explore consolidating all Sheriff’s operations at a new Public Safety Campus in Jamesville
  • Strong alignment between County Executive and Sheriff
  • Would free up critical downtown real estate in the Convention District
  • Opens the door for new economic development opportunities on State Street
  • Working group being formed to evaluate feasibility, costs, and timeline

Infrastructure & Energy

• Oak Orchard expansion: $530M; ~700 annualized jobs; up to 3,000 onsite at peak.
• Industrial Wastewater Facility: RFP due May; budget $875M–$1B; ~1,000 union annualized jobs; ~6,000 workers across buildout.
• National Grid: $3.83B in Central NY (2026–2030).
• Energy affordability: Advocate “all‑of‑the‑above” (nuclear, clean natural gas, renewables).
• Renewables: Legacy landfill solar RFP (165 acres, Town of Onondaga)—Q3 2026; Inner Harbor thermal loop in advanced exploration.

Airport & Global Connectivity

• Flights retimed to semiconductor markets; demand up 30% (Taiwan), 28% (Singapore), 13% (Japan).
• United seat capacity +12% this summer at SYR; planning international cargo facility.

Micron & White Pine

• Phase 1 construction complete; foundation work by end of 2026; 3–4K construction workers next year.
• “Micron Week” Mar 27–Apr 3: announcements, student/parent engagement.

Workforce & Inclusion

• Erie 21: Expanding to Solvay HS this summer; full‑year engagement in fall.
• Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Certification Program: With Veterans Service Agency.
• Road to Success—CDL: With Jubilee Homes, On‑Ramp, County; fully operational by end 2026.
• OCC: Electromechanical enrollment +216% year over year; $400K County support proposed.
• SU Center for Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing: Training on real production systems.
• Semi‑Sprint (2027): $500K investment; venture‑studio model with CenterState CEO.

Supply Chain & Industry

• Wonik Materials (WIMCO) Memorandum of Understanding: multi‑million facility; ~100 jobs at capacity.
• Target Hospitality: Purpose‑built workforce housing; multi‑million investment.
• Industry momentum:
  • onsemi $120M (DeWitt).
  • TTM $125M; ~1,000 jobs.
  • Lotte Biologics $85M ADC; ~500 employees.
  • Saab: site purchase; ~50 jobs forthcoming.

Plan Onondaga & Centers

• 15 towns/villages updated local plans; center‑driven investment strategy.
• Aquarium: sand tiger sharks, ~33‑ft main habitat with tunnel, largest doctor fish touch experience all planned; SUNY ESF research & The MOST education partnerships; film industry opportunities.
• Great Northern Town Center: Upstate Medical anchor; groundbreaking summer 2027 pending approvals.
• Convention District: $1M for streetscape/signage/safety/placemaking; studying vertical expansion of garage; exploring Public Safety Campus at Jamesville to consolidate Sheriff ops and free up downtown sites.
• Inspyre Innovation Hub: Modovolo (modular drones), Flox (AI wildlife mgmt; $3M round; U.S. HQ at Inspyre), ForEDU (K‑12 AI; ~200 hires in 18 months).
• Syracuse Developmental Center: 288 units; 27 affordable townhomes; 400+ in future phases; $1.5M from county o‑CHIP program; City transfers 7.6 acres for Savannah Connections zoo expansion and Learning Center.

Housing & Hospitality

• Housing permits: 1,700 in 2025 (+173% YoY; +400% over two years); ~1,300 multifamily permits.
• Policy accelerators (6‑point plan): SEQRA relief (<100 units), roll back electrification mandates, targeted OCWA/WEP expansions, ‑25% lot size requirement, eliminate site plan review (<20 units), enhance o‑CHIP grants to $15K/unit.
• Gen Z Homeownership: Infrastructure grants for $250–$375K homes; Heritage Grove (Clay) 89 units at $375K; groundbreaking summer 2026.
• Hotel Initiative: 7 projects, 933 rooms, $164M; Lakeshore Village with Hyatt/Newport—bringing 145 rooms, $40M+, ~100 jobs.

Parks & Community

• Onondaga Lake Park Marina—first major modernization in ~100 years.
• Hopkins Road Park—modern fields, lighting, amenities; finish summer 2026.
• Opportunity Loan Fund: Saving Face Barber Shop—$100K loan; 7 locations, 45 employees.