A Message from the County Executive

Dear Neighbors:

February was another busy month for Onondaga County. From welcoming the Special Olympics, to celebrating local businesses and doing our part to help volunteer first responders, we continue to work every day to advance our PIE (poverty, infrastructure and economic development) platform.

Below are just some of the great stories we have to tell this month and I hope you will enjoy. Be sure to mark your Calendars for March 15th as we prepare to deliver the 2023 State of the County!

Sincerely,

Ryan

February 2023

Onondaga County Announces Housing Initiative Program (O-CHIP)

The need for more housing in Onondaga County has never been greater and because of that we were proud to announce the creation of the Onondaga County Housing Initiative Program (O-CHIP). A $10 million fund will be available to private sector and nonprofit developers to support housing development efforts countywide. This initiative will not only help with housing the future workforce for Micron, but also help to address the current housing needs in Onondaga County.

County Executive Ryan McMahon said,

"It's an all-of-the-above housing strategy. We need more affordable housing. We need more mixed-income housing, senior housing, market rate and single-family housing because we are a growing community."

Developers awarded funding will need a project that will create at least 5-units. These can be single-family homes, apartments, condos and townhouses;

There are two options: $5,000 per unit or $250,000 for up to a 50-unit project. A project proving to have a positive regional impact is eligible for up to $750,000;

For more information on how to apply for O-Chip or to access an application, click below.

CLICK TO APPLY

NYS Special Olympics Return to Syracuse

Onondaga County hosted nearly 500 Special Olympics New York athletes and coaches for the 2023 Games. Venues throughout the county hosted competitions in 6 sports:

Floor Hockey
Cross Country Skiing
Alpine Skiing
Figure Skating
Snowboarding
Snowshoe

President and CEO Stacey Hengsterman on games returning to Central New York,

"It's great to be back in Syracuse, where competitive sports are a main attraction, and the community so clearly values the contributions of people with all abilities. There is a reason why Special Olympics New York has a near 100-percent return rate of spectators and volunteers."

County Executive Ryan McMahon said, "Onondaga County is proud to partner, once again, with our friends at Special Olympics New York. Nearly 500 of the best athletes, along with their friends and family, will compete in what will surely be the best Winter Games yet! I encourage our community to come out and support these amazing athletes and i wish all of them the best of luck."

Special Olympics New York is the largest

state chapter in the country, serving more than 31,000 athletes across New York with year-round sports training, athletic competition, and health screening. The organization also partners with 250 schools statewide, including many in Onondaga County, to offer unified sports, where students with and without disabilities compete as teammates. For additional information about Special Olympics New York or to learn about getting involved, click below.

Click for Special Olympics New York

County Executive Ryan McMahon joined by Marcellus Fire Department and Legislators Julie Abbott, Brian May, David Knapp and Ken Bush

County Executive Announces New Support for Volunteer First Responders

Members of the Marcellus Fire Department, Onondaga County Emergency Management Team and local legislators joined the County Executive to announce recently passed legislation (2/7/23) that will grant qualifying volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers a 10% reduction in assessed value of their home when determining their County property tax bill. This is just a small way to say "Thank You" for the selfless and heroic work these special people do every day to keep us safe.

It was only fitting to make this announcement in Marcellus, for they were one of the volunteer agencies to selflessly answer the call to help our neighbors in Buffalo during their recent severe weather event.

Micron Update

County Executive Ryan McMahon and Micron representatives hosted town hall events this past month at Henninger High School in Syracuse and Wellwood Middle School in Fayetteville. Some of the updates discussed include:

They are preparing to file environmental review applications with the State Department of Environmental Conservation and Federal Agencies;
First round of hiring will be for 5,000-7,000 construction jobs required to build the 2.4 million square foot plant;
Hiring for the production plant will begin long before production is set to begin in 2026;
Company has a project labor agreement in place with local unions;
An advisory committee is being formed to decide how to spend $500 million community fund.
Centro plans to run a direct bus line from the downtown Syracuse hub to the Micron plant for employees;
Company is in beginning stages of $5 million investment to create and outfit a clean room at Onondaga Community College.

County Executive Ryan McMahon promotes Child Care Assistance Programs

Onondaga County understands the universal need for child care and has taken the lead with its child care assistance program to assist those families in need. For more information or to apply, call (315) 435-5683 or click below. If you don't qualify for a child care subsidy, there are many other programs available. To learn more, click on the following short video.

Navigating Child Care Needs

Click to Apply

Martin Luther King Jr Day of Service and 2023 MLK Jr. Public Service Award Recipient

The County Executive joined Syracuse Common Council President Helen Hudson and more then 200 volunteers for the 21st annual MLK Day of Service Food and Clothing Drive at the Southwest Community Center. Continuing with Dr. King's legacy of service, County Executive Ryan McMahon was honored to announce Sahelezegi (Abraham) Gebresalasie as the 2023 Martin Luther King Jr. Public Service Award Recipient. In recognition of his many contributions and selfless commitment to refugee community of Onondaga Community. Abraham is an Outreach Worker in the Bureau of Disease Control. Whether its assisting nurses and desk staff with translation (he speaks four languages) or performing tuberculin skin testing, Abraham's kindness, compassion, and willingness to go above and beyond are on full display. Abraham, we thank you for everything you do for Onondaga County and congratulate you on being our 2023 Public Service Award Recipient.

Lights on the Lake Charity Giveback 2023

The 2022-2023 season of Lights on the Lake welcomed 38,331 vehicles to the annual holiday light display. Along with great attendance, the show also raised $14,631 for local charities. County Executive Ryan McMahon joined representatives from the local charities for a check presentation. The breakdown of local donations are as follows:

Opening Night (11/14): CNY Diaper Bank: $2,060
Doggy Drive Thru (11/15): $3,165
Charity Week (1/9): Second Chance Canine Adoption Shelter: $1,393
Charity Week (1/10): Alzheimer's Association: $1,299
Charity Week (1/11): Central Square Essentials: $1,545
Charity Week (1/12): Families FIRST: $1,404
Charity Week (1/13): SageUpstate: $2,765
Lights on the Lake Run: Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital: $1,000

Byrne Dairy Celebrates 90 Years in Business

2023 mark 90 years in business for Byrne Dairy. Today, they employ over 500 residents of Central New York across its production facilities, warehouses and logistics fleet. County Executive Ryan McMahon was honored to join the celebration and declare February 3, 2023 Byrne Dairy Day in Onondaga County!

County Executive Meets with Town of Geddes Seniors

County Executive Ryan McMahon joined Town of Geddes Councilor Ed Weber jr. at Robinson Memorial Church for a Geddes Seniors community update. The County Executive discussed all the new projects and programs the county is currently working on, an expansive update on Micron's historic investment in Onondaga County and other exciting happenings in the community. If your community group would like to host the County Executive, please contact our office at (315) 435-3516 or e-mail by clicking below.

E-mail Request

County Executive Announces 2023 NYS Blues Festival Headliner

County Executive Ryan McMahon joined the NYS Blues Fest Executive Board to announce legendary Blues guitarist Buddy Guy will headline the 2023 New York State Blues Festival at the State fairgrounds this summer. This year's festival will run Thursday, June 15 through Saturday June17. Other featured acts include guitarist Samantha Fish, guitar duo Blood Brothers and blues-soul group Souther Avenue. For more information and updates click on the following link. info@nysbluesfest.com