Good morning and thank you for coming today ... - City of Syracuse

MAYOR MATTHEW J. DRISCOLL
FEBRUARY 5, 2006
2006 INAUGURAL ADDRESS
Good morning and thank you for coming today. Words
alone cannot fully convey what an honor it is to take this
oath and have the privilege to lead this city for another four
years. I’m grateful to the citizens of Syracuse for this
opportunity to continue to serve our great city and I am
excited about meeting the challenges that lie ahead.
I want to express my gratitude to my family, many of whom
have joined me today. Every elected official here
understands the sacrifices big and small our families make
to support us. I want to thank Patti and my children for their
unending support during long days these past four plus
years.
I also want to acknowledge the returning City Councilors
who have worked side by side with us and to the new
Councilors I look forward to working with.
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And finally, I extend my thanks to all the elected officials –
past and present – who have joined us from the State,
County, City and City School Board.
The leadership and service you provide is deeply
appreciated and I thank you for taking time to be join us
today.
I know I speak for everyone here in wishing County
Executive Nick Pirro all the best as he continues his
recovery from recent surgery. I have spoken to Nick. I’d ask
that our colleagues here from the County let Nick know that
he remains in the thoughts and prayers of everyone here in
the city administration.
Today signals not only a new four-year term but a fresh
start. For these past four years our efforts were focused on
tending to the city’s aging infrastructure, reinvesting in our
schools and reestablishing fiscal and operational
accountability. We advocated for the city’s fair share time
and again so that we could reinvest in our neighborhoods
during these difficult financial times for America’s cities.
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Thanks to the tireless efforts of many of the men and
women in this room, our city has regained a well-deserved
reputation for responsive constituent service.
Tomorrow, one of those servants will end a city career that
has spanned nearly four decades. On behalf of the people
of Syracuse, I want to thank Commissioner Jocko Collins, a
lifelong Syracusan who knows every corner of this city. He
should know every corner. He’s rebuilt most of them over
his 37 years of service with Syracuse. Jocko, thanks and all
the best in the days ahead.
So together, with many of you in this room and many more
outside it, we’ve made progress. Thanks to that record,
we’ve been given a chance to do more. So let’s begin. Our
challenge going forward is to build on a solid framework in
this city and region and to encourage a wider common
vision for Syracuse and our community.
Bad news tends to travel faster than good. Nevertheless,
our local media has recently been full of stories that tell us
Syracuse leads other Upstate cities in areas of crime
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eduction, job growth and technology partnerships. Real
estate values have been climbing and population figures
indicate people are moving back to our region. We have
innovative leaders providing new direction at our many fine
colleges and business organizations. Every month it seems
another barrier is coming down between our universities
and our communities. At the same time, new connections
are being made between our research institutions and local
industries.
In just one example, six hundred SU students will begin
taking their classes this month in a renovated former
warehouse in Armory Square. This comes at a time when
new downtown apartments and condos are being leased
before their construction is even completed.
We have our challenges, but we also have assets that
make this an exciting time for Syracuse and Central New
York.
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What we all must do better, and what my new term will be
defined by, is our ability to identify shared concerns and
rally the resources to make a difference.
This common ground isn’t hard to find. Read the letters to
the editor every day about city issues and you’ll see what I
mean. Some letters are from Eastwood and South Salina
Street. But others are from Fayetteville or Borodino. Some
praise; some criticize, but each person clearly cares about
what goes on in the city of Syracuse.
Whether they offer praise or criticism, the people of Central
New York seem to understand that as the city goes, so
goes our region. Our challenge is to harness their concern,
tap their energy and channel it in a way that begins to make
a wider difference.
If a school in Syracuse is struggling, the impact will be felt
beyond the city line.
So to, if a technology firm in Skaneateles can’t recruit
trained workers to continue its growth, that impact reaches
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into the neighborhoods of Syracuse. My point is that here in
Syracuse we need to effectively seek innovative
assistance, and at the same time the organizations,
colleges and people of Syracuse can be helpful as a
regional partner.
Here are some examples of collaborations I plan to
advocate for.
The School Renovation Project — This one single
initiative will revolutionize our City for generations to come.
This creative and innovative project will produce wellpaying,
long-term construction jobs; will change the
physical makeup of the neighborhoods; and will most
importantly give our City school children new technology,
new environments and a renewed sense of pride in not only
their school district, but themselves.
This is a historic opportunity to not only rebuild our schools,
but to prepare and integrate them more into the everyday
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life of their neighborhoods. That will take more than bricks
and mortar. It will take new levels of collaboration from
civic, business and community groups.
The Need for Action on Gun Violence— The easy traffic
of guns flowing freely from one state into another must be
stopped. I listened to Mayor Bloomberg’s inaugural speech
in which he pledged to take his message to Albany, to
Washington, and to every capital of every state to push for
further crackdowns on the trafficking of weapons. I
wholeheartedly agree with him. Yesterday at the State of
the State I began arranging the first meeting in years with
the other Big Five mayors to discuss joint strategies for
many issues facing cities across the state, including this
very important issue that affects all of our communities.
Job Creation — According to the Chamber of Commerce
and by the Metropolitan Development Association,
Syracuse leads many regions of the State in job growth and
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the proliferation of new businesses and expansion of high
technology jobs.
On University Hill and downtown there are hundreds of
millions of dollars in projects underway or on the drawing
board. There is more to be done and in the coming months
we need to bring developers and city planners together to
reduce red tape associated with building projects in the city.
City and School District Finances — As one city servant
leaves, another arrives. I want to acknowledge and
welcome our new City School Superintendent, Daniel
Lowengard who is in his first week. The Superintendent and
I had a good meeting earlier this week about our mutual
challenges to financing our City and School District
operations. I am motivated by our meeting and feel that our
relationship will produce the ultimate goal that we all desire
and that is the best educational system in the State for our
children.
The Superintendent and I will be traveling to Albany
together soon to meet with our State delegation and other
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State officials to demonstrate that Syracuse is united in its
City/School District partnership.
A philosopher once said: To put the world in order, we
must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order,
we must first put the family in order; to put the family in
order, we must first cultivate our personal life; we must first
set our hearts right.
I think people understand that the health of Syracuse, the
heart of Central New York, is the key to the future of this
region. I am committed to encouraging a wider shared
sense of purpose as we continue to tend to the physical
and human infrastructure of this city.
If we all truly believe that our ability to collaborate will
ultimately decide our fate as a City, then we are duty-bound
to extend the hand of understanding and partnership that
will lead to the collective success we all seek.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I am charged with enthusiasm and
hope and eager to start another term.
Thank you and May God bless us all.
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