My name is Noah Chrysler, this is Good News York,
and this is the 2026 Syracuse Mayor's Ball. Come
on! This event is meant to bring together some
of the community leaders here at Syracuse to
get together for a night of entertainment. There's
some cocktails, there's some local food. Looks
like everybody's having a lot of fun and we're
gonna have a lot of fun too. I'm in a rental
tux. Danny's looking great. He's got his gear.
We're having a blast. Tonight is about showing
off the talent of Syracuse. From the music, to
the artists, to the vendors, to the food. hosting
us and then I told her I'm going to say five
seconds worth of words and then I'm getting out
of the way because if you know me, I'm going
to be right there. So have a go, get the shoes
on, enjoy some great food and let's have fun,
Syracuse. I have known Mayor Owens since I was
about 10 years old. I've known her almost my
whole life. We attended the same church. Tell
us about Mayor Owens. What's she like, you know,
at the function? Like, what is she the cool and,
like, you know, what is she like behind the scenes?
Is she fun? I tell you what, she's a lot of fun.
She's also a complete and utter professional.
And I love that about her. My wife works for
her at the Southwest Community Center. And she
did so many great things there that got her to
the point that she's here now. And I don't know
anyone else more deserving, honestly. Wonderful.
Can you tell me about some of those great things?
That's wonderful. I want to know more. Yeah,
I mean, if you look at the programs that they
have at the Southwest Center, she was very instrumental
in actually implementing a lot of those programs.
She's a person that cares deeply about the city
of Syracuse, and you can tell. And she cares
about, you know, not just the city, but the underserved
communities in the city and the folks that really
need assistance and help. She cares deeply. You
know, that's a passion of hers. And so I'm just
super proud to be here in this moment and to
celebrate, you know, the first black woman, first
black mayor of the city of Syracuse. This is
like such a historic thing. And and I'm just
I'm just proud to be a part of it, honestly.
And just just a fly on the wall. I feel like
a fly on the wall right now. I'm I'm just here.
You know, I love it. Awesome. Is there anything
that you are especially looking forward to tonight
or what was your favorite part of the evening
so far? I want to see Mayor Owens on the dance
floor getting busy. I don't know if anyone else
said that, but I'm going to dance with her. If
I see her on the dance floor, you better believe
you're going to see me on the dance floor with
her, OK? What brings you here tonight to the
Mayor's Ball? Oh, well, Sharon. I shouldn't call
her Sharon anymore. I should call her her honor.
Her honor has been just a wonderful mainstay
in doing wonderful work in Syracuse, as you know,
and I've been very supportive of her. for all
of the years that she's done various things in
Syracuse. And so we're very excited that she
is the mayor. Matter of fact, about four years
ago, I mentioned to her about running and that
she should run for mayor. And she wasn't sure
that she was going to do that. Oh, yeah. But
I was sure that if she ran, she would win. So
we're here to celebrate. Very cool. Very cool.
So you were deputy mayor for a long time. Yes.
Not in Jersey City, New Jersey. Have you heard
anything about Hudson County? politics not not
particularly maybe a little bit okay well i will
just so as deputy mayor in jersey city did you
learn anything to anybody lines of wisdom that
you want to pass on the mayor owens here oh absolutely
uh... the the most important thing is to remember
what got her because what gets her here will
keep her here and uh... you know the lot of people
will come and pull on her for various kinds of
things with different interests but she's got
to make sure that She did to get her here the
interests of the city and the interests of the
people at large and the least one Because though
those who are influential and those who are rich
and powerful they can fend for themselves But
it's the least ones that have difficulty making
and government has to help them. I am here with
Senator Rachel May How are you doing this evening?
Fantastic what brings you to the mayor's ball?
and just thrilled that she's our new mayor, and
I knew it was gonna be a fun time. Awesome, fantastic.
So from your experience as a senator, you know,
is there any advice that you would give Mayor
Owens as she, you know, she's just kind of started
out here. Any advice that you have for her during
her term? You know, I've only been doing this
for seven years myself, but I will say, you know,
there are gonna be setbacks, but you just...
Remember who you are always make sure you're
doing you're following your own instincts and
she's got great instincts So I have faith in
her very calm. Is there anything going on in
Syracuse that more people should know about?
Oh My goodness, I feel like there are a lot of
things I was just talking with the with Pam from
the symphony Because they're getting ready to
open the auditorium in the STEAM school which
was a famous auditorium back in the day and they're
restoring it so it's going to be this spectacular
venue so they want to play concerts there and
I think the students will be able to do their
performances there it's going to be a fantastic
new addition to the city's entertainment world.
I'm really excited about that. It's kind of under
the radar right now, but it's it's coming. Awesome.
Very cool. So I watched Mayor Owens state of
the city and there was a lot of exciting things.
What is one of her projects that you're like
looking forward to seeing take place here in
Syracuse? Well, I do a lot of work on housing
and we really need more housing. housing in places
where people want to live, where it's near public
transportation and that sort of thing. And I
think she really gets that. And we're going to
be working together well to make sure that that
development happens right here. It happens for
the good of the people who are here, not for
the good of, you know, investors in overseas
or something like that. I really think we're
on the right track for that. Very calm. Okay
give me the cheat codes if I'm trying to get
housing built in a city what is like if you had
to give me one piece of advice for how to do
that and get it done and make sure it's really
good and really nice what is some cheat codes
that you got for me some advice? Well that's
a good question I mean I think the city is streamlining
its permitting process it's trying to make it
just faster but we at the state are doing the
same thing we're trying if you want to build
a big building You should have to go through
all the local permitting, but you shouldn't have
to go through state environmental quality review
if it's already permitted and it's in the kinds
of places where we want new housing. So we're
working on, and the mayor I know is also working
on bringing down some of the barriers to doing
that. Very cool. Very cool. Well, wonderful.
Is there any other messages that you want to
send to the people of Syracuse or to the mayor
here tonight? This is a city that's on the rise
and you can see it here tonight and it's pretty
exciting. So we are here with Mayor Owens. Mayor
Owens, how are you doing tonight? Oh my goodness,
this is great. We started upstairs and we're
down here now. We got great music going on, great
DJ, new band coming up. Everyone, the best part
about this for me is that people who have never
been to the most are here for the first time
and I hope that means they're going to come back.
Absolutely. I haven't been here since I was a
kid, and it's amazing. Many people don't realize
that they use it for venues like this, so I hope
that this really garners business for the most.
Absolutely. Fantastic. OK, cool. So what is tonight
all about, and what do you hope people will walk
away feeling? Tonight is about coming together,
the eclectic diversity of Syracuse. We have people
from all walks of life. This is the feel when
I talk about the vibrancy of... Syracuse, when
I talk about the nightlife coordinator and the
vibrancy of Syracuse, this is what I'm talking
about. Maybe not dressed up like this all the
time, but having eclectic... different nightlife
opportunities for people. This is what I'm talking
about. I love it. Fantastic. Cool. So for some
people watching this, this might be their first
time meeting you, right? So what do you want
them to know about the type of mayor that you're
trying to be for the city of Syracuse? So the
type of mayor that I'm going to be is the Sharon
that I've always been. I've been in the community
for almost 40 years. I was not looking for government.
Government found me and found what I was doing
in community. I could do for government. So working
for eight years, for three years, and then eight
years for Mayor Walsh, I know where all the light
switches are, so I don't need to find the right
room. I have a great team, and we're hitting
the ground running. Wonderful. Wonderful. So
I watched your State of the City address, and
it was wonderful, but I noticed that you dedicated
it to your mom. Your pastor, L. Daniels, your
mom. So I was wondering, what is something that
she might have taught you that you still use
today? Never forget about the people. If we are
blessed, and I have been blessed to be able to
do many different things, it is always not for
myself, but for other people. And my green tonight
is because this was her favorite color. Oh, cool.
How sweet. That's very sweet. All right, here
we go. What are some of the big projects that
you're most proud of right now, and what should
be people watching out for next? Well... people
should be watching now um housing absolutely
we're looking to break ground at the um old developmental
center that's going to be 200 new units up there
town homes up there we're looking to hopefully
move forward quickly on the uh um the golf course
on the southern tier to get projects going there.
I just found out from the superintendent that
10 % of our kids are actually classified homeless.
So we're going to really hone into how we could
get them out of hotels into stable housing. Wow,
fantastic. So I did some time in Atlanta. I lived
there for a few years. And while I was there,
I got really big into roller skating. So I'm
wondering, you know, this summer, when can I
expect to be roller skating in Clinton Square?
I'm working with the parks commissioner now and
we're hoping that this summer that we will have
figured out. I kind of put it out there and now
she has to figure it out. But I want to do, I
want to see a disco ball and some lights. and
roller skating. Beautiful. Cool. Last question
here. What's something that you want to say directly
to the people of Syracuse that might be watching
this? To the people of Syracuse, for many, we
have always been the center of New York State.
But now we are central to the vibrancy and what's
happening in New York State. We no longer are
the afterthought. We are the beforethought. And
we should embrace that and move our city forward.
Fantastic. Mayor Owens, thank you very, very
much for your time. I appreciate it. Ladies and
gentlemen, thank you so much for watching. If
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great day. I'm gonna go hang out with the dinosaurs.