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Syracuse Mayor Sharon Owens detailed her plans to improve Syracuse’s housing affordability, economic stability and job security during her inaugural State of the City address at Nottingham High School Thursday evening.

During her nearly hour-long speech, Owens promised to create a “more resilient” city by working with community partners and other New York state government officials to explore “what’s next” for Syracuse.

“I promise to serve this great city by governing with compassion, honesty and accountability,” Owens said. “This is about more than policy. It is about people.”

Much of her address focused on increasing generational wealth for Syracuse residents. Owens said she plans to meet the demands of this growing city by building more affordable housing, including the 100 units currently under construction in the East Adams neighborhood.

The mayor also emphasized making Syracuse a place where residents want to stay and visitors want to experience.

Part of that goal includes ensuring the safety of Syracuse residents, she said. Owens then expressed appreciation for Syracuse’s “immigrant neighbors” amid the nationwide tensions over the federal administration’s immigration enforcement tactics.

“Let me reiterate tonight that the men and women of the Syracuse Police Department, sworn to protect and serve the people of Syracuse, will not take on the role of immigration enforcement,” Owens said.

Owens urged the passing of the New York For All Act, which would prohibit local law enforcement across the state from enforcing federal immigration law and limit federal agents from entering property without a signed judicial warrant. The Syracuse Common Council moved to reaffirm the law at its regular meeting Monday.

“When our neighbors are treated unjustly, silence is not an option,” said Owens. “These protections matter because they uphold trust, safety, and dignity for everyone who calls New York and Syracuse home.”

To ensure that affordable housing is both accessible and safe for residents, Owens said she plans to partner with Onondaga County’s Lead Poisoning Prevention Program to remove lead paint and water pipes throughout the city.

Lead exposure has been an ongoing crisis in Onondaga County. Owens said she aims to complete 1,700 lead water service lines in 2026 by tripling the number of lead safety crews.

In addition to safe, accessible housing, Owens said she will improve Syracuse’s fiscal sustainability by increasing economic opportunity for the city and its residents. She pointed to Micron Technology’s groundbreaking earlier this month as an outlet for “economic opportunity.”

Owens also said her mayoral efforts will include creating new jobs and ensuring they are available to city residents to provide pathways out of poverty. In 2024, four upstate New York cities, including Syracuse, were ranked among the highest child poverty rates in the U.S.

“These efforts are critically important to change that financial condition and get Syracuse off those darn lists,” Owens said.

Her administration welcomes more businesses interested in establishing semiconductor ecosystems in Syracuse, she said.

“I am thrilled to extend a warm welcome to each and every supplier and company who is looking at Onondaga County and Syracuse, New York as a place where they can invest,” Owens said. “Syracuse is open for business.”

The mayor pointed to local partners in the city’s developing tech industry, including Syracuse University — specifically its future semiconductor research facility — saying the university is committed to building “a better tomorrow” through fiscal sustainability.

SU contributed around $1.8 billion to central New York during the 2023 to 2024 fiscal year, according to an economic study conducted by the university earlier this year. Jobs at SU generated $862.7 million in regional income, while its research programs accounted for $180.9 million.

“I would be remiss in not acknowledging and thanking Syracuse University and Chancellor Kent Syverud for recognizing their impact on city resources,” Owens said. “I would also like to wish the chancellor all the best of luck in his journey.”

Owens said she intends to also focus on improving fiscal sustainability for the city and its residents by increasing employment opportunities and workforce preparedness. Her administration is in the process of identifying a master developer for The One Network for Regional Advanced Manufacturing Partnerships – an employment training program set to break ground later this year.

ON-RAMP will serve as a leading workforce innovation hub for closing skill gaps in advanced manufacturing and construction, Owens said.

In addition to addressing barriers to basic necessities and employment, Owens said she’ll work to remove hurdles from residents’ everyday lives, including better public transportation and public safety.

Owens will continue former Mayor Ben Walsh’s Vision Zero, a “comprehensive road map” for eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries. She also promised pedestrian safety upgrades at 42 intersections and traffic signal improvements along James Street and South Salina Street.

She also announced the new position of deputy commissioner of transportation and mobility, which will help her coordinate transportation improvement efforts.

The mayor said she’d continue to work with representatives like the Common Council, while also building new positions. During her address, she announced a district and nightlife coordinator to support that intersection between entrepreneurship, nightlife, public safety and public arts, she said.

“We will innovate, adapt, remain laser focused on the needs of the people we serve,” Owens said. “Syracuse deserves nothing less.”

Published on January 30, 2026 at 2:23 pm