For the Dec. 28 News column, “Looking Back, Looking Ahead,” three questions were posed to several Central New York political figures, including city of Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner, Onondaga County Democratic Committee chair Mark English and Onondaga County Republican Committee chair Thomas V. Dadey Jr. Unfortunately, some gremlins in the system as well as holiday deadlines conspired to prevent the inclusion of comments from Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney. Here are her answers:
What are you most proud of from the past year?
People stopping me every day to say they had a great time at the Lakeview Amphitheater has been very gratifying this year. We had a wildly successful first season with top-name talent and more than 200,000 people from every state in the country on the shore of Onondaga Lake. The economic opportunity and excitement it generated surpassed expectations. We have been nominated for a Pollstar award for best new major concert venue in America and we couldn’t be more excited for next season.
What is your biggest challenge in the year ahead?
It’s challenging to keep up the progress with so many political agendas at work! We will just keep doing what we are doing and trying to make Central New York a place where our kids will want to stay and raise their own families.
How do you think a Trump administration will impact local government?
President-Elect Trump has said repeatedly that infrastructure investment will be a top priority for his administration. If done right, this could mean real job opportunities for people and investments in projects that are long overdue.