If the measure of a public servant is to leave the city better than he found it, Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh’s eight years in office were a success.
The population is growing for the first time in 70 years. The city’s finances are stronger. Downtown is more vibrant and development continues to surge. The community grid revamp of Interstate 81 that he campaigned for is in full swing. The East Adams public housing redo is underway. The city-county STEAM school is open. The mayor exceeded his promise to deliver 2,500 affordable housing units.
Staff writer Tim Knauss catalogued small, street-level wins over Walsh’s two terms: a new trash collection system; 47 miles of new sidewalks; a campaign to shut down illegal convenience stores that attract trouble in city neighborhoods; completion of the six-year project to revamp the city’s antiquated zoning code; a program to replace every lead pipe…