SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — In her first State of the City address as mayor, Sharon Owens outlined several of her plans for 2026:
Housing
Owens affirmed her campaign promise to enact a Good Cause Eviction law, which would allow tenants to appeal evictions over what they deem as illegitimate reasons. Among the four candidates for Syracuse mayor, Owens was the only one to support such a law.
As a part of the city’s tackling of the prevalence of lead in the pipe systems of old homes, Owens vowed that her administration would replace 1,700 service lines by the end of the year. She announced that she was tripling the number of workers to accelerate the project.
The mayor also mentioned the city’s work in building new housing projects, such as in the East Adams Street neighborhood, the redevelopment of the Chimes Building and the Northside’s Developmental Center, and the revamping of a children’s center. During her campaign, Owens blamed the leadership of the Syracuse Housing Authority under Bill Simmons for the project initially falling apart.
Policing
The city’s police department has struggled to hire new cadets. After pausing the rule that new hires must live within the city, a rule Owens insisted was still “in the best interests,” she announced the opening of a new police academy to train new officers…