Syracuse Mayor Sharon Owens waves to the crowd after giving the State of the City Address at Nottingham High School Thursday, January 29.

Mayor Sharon Owens on Thursday described Syracuse as a city ‘shaped by past’ but on the precipice in her first State of the City address.

Syracuse’s 55th mayor — the city’s first Black woman to hold that title — delivered the historic address at Nottingham High School, from which her son Isaac graduated.

In her speech, Owens outlined plans for big investments in housing, community-centered approaches to public safety and new approaches to conceptualizing land use in Syracuse.

And while Owens characterized Syracuse as a city shaped by its past, the city won’t be defined by the past, she said. 

“My vision is for a Syracuse that is the best place to raise a family, build a life, and grow a business,” Owens said. “And together we can make it happen.”

Housing

Housing featured prominently in Owens’ speech. 

The mayor called on the Syracuse Common Council to “engage in conversation” about “Good Cause Eviction” legislation. Under the bill, tenants would be able to challenge evictions filed in court for reasons not stated in the lease agreement and would be allowed to renew their lease automatically if they are paying rent and have abided by the terms of their lease. 

The council last year voted to withdraw from its agenda after about seven months of deliberation.

Owens said about 1,000 units of housing are currently being built in the city, including: 

  • 256 units through the first phase of the East Adams Neighborhood Transformation
  • 152 units through the Chimes Building renovation

Developers will soon break ground on the redevelopment of Syracuse Developmental Center, which will create 261 housing units in the project’s first phase. The city is also collaborating with Home HeadQuarters to construct 27 new townhouses in that neighborhood, Owens said. 

Initiatives to spur housing development alone won’t solve the city’s housing crisis, Owens said.

The city is on the precipice of receiving a $4.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to remediate lead paint issues in at least 100 homes, Owens said. 

“As the City faces unprecedented growth, we need to ensure we have sufficient housing stock to meet both our current needs as well as the demands of our growing City,” Owens said. “We need to ensure our existing rental stock is safe and remains affordable for our residents.”

Immigration

One of the biggest reactions from attendees came in response to Owens’ pledge that Syracuse Police Department officers will not enforce immigration law.

Owens rebuked federal immigration enforcement’s killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, calling the detention and deportation of residents “cruel and unacceptable.” Owens said she will show up to rallies and stand with those targeted by immigration enforcement agents. 

“When our neighbors are treated unjustly,” Owens said, “silence is not an option.”

The mayor also endorsed the New York For All Act, state legislation that would prohibit local, regional, or state agencies from working with federal immigration agencies. 

The Common Council on Monday unanimously adopted a resolution sponsored by Councilor Chol Majok to endorse the New York For All Act and encourage state lawmakers and Governor Kathy Hochul to enact that legislation into law.

Owens after the speech did not commit to issuing an executive order barring city personnel from using city resources for federal civil immigration enforcement, as Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan did earlier in the week.   

“Based on what I’m hearing, I think the state is going to do something,” Owens said. “So I think I’m going to see what the governor is planning, and then, me following suit based on that.”

Public safety

Owens credited recently retired Police Chief Joe Cecile for reducing crime rates, including the lowest homicide rates in a decade, through community-centered approaches to policing.

Owens recently revoked the requirement that police officers live in the city for the first five years with the Syracuse Police Department. Owens said the department’s inability to recruit new officers spurred the decision. 

“We will assess results as we enter into contract negotiations next year,” Owens said.

The mayor announced a new panel discussion series to be hosted this year by the Syracuse Police Department. The program will provide community leaders, clergy members and activists a chance to express their thoughts on public safety, and is aimed at forging community connections while educating officers on the social impact of their law enforcement practices.

Owens also said she wants to find better ways to utilize the city’s Community Service Officers, who are non-sworn members of the police department. In a recent interview with Central Current, Owens explored the idea of using those community service officers for elements of parking enforcement, and  responding to some non-emergency 911 calls.

The mayor also lauded the Syracuse Fire Department’s average response time of 2 minutes and 42 seconds, saying it was the fastest in Central New York. Owens credited the department’s elite response time to the strategic placement of firehouses. Every address in Syracuse is within 2 miles of a fire station, she said.

Taxes

Owens’ administration plans to pursue a citywide property revaluation, which the Syracuse Common Council shot down in 2025. Councilors rejected the revaluation after a tense budget cycle.

The mayor said she planned to work with Common Council President Rita Paniagua and the rest of the councilors to move forward on a revaluation “in the coming months.

Owens also expressed support for a Land Value Tax. A state bill could pave the way to selectively or widely use a Land Value Tax, which more heavily weights the tax rate on land the tax rate on structures. A Land Value Tax would replace a property tax. Proponents say a land value tax could incentivize development while discouraging land hoarding. 

The mayor acknowledged that the policey would not alter the fact that the city cannot tax non-profit institutions like SU and Upstate University Hospital. But collaboration with those entities’ leaders is a productive means for the city to have a say in the way those entities grow, Owens said.

“We’ve encouraged SU if they need to build, to build on the Hill, to build in South Campus. Build in your footprint,” Owens said. “South campus looks the same way it did when I graduated in 1985. There’s acres up there. Invest, build, grow — just grow in the footprint you’re in.”

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Patrick McCarthy is a staff reporter at Central Current covering government and politics. A graduate of Syracuse University’s Maxwell and Newhouse Schools, McCarthy was born and raised in Syracuse and...