Mayor Stephanie Miner read the teleprompter glass as I drove through Syracuse’s north side. She delivered her televised State of the City address from the auditorium of the Everson Museum as I passed rundown homes and vacant commercial buildings. She displayed a power point with inspirational quotes of a promising future as I approached the vacant box that represents the current state of Destiny USA.

I listened to her speak on the new crystal clear sound of   WSYR-FM.  Despite the obvious shortcomings of our city the mayor showed conviction, determination and hope.  She talked about the need for innovation even during a time of recession. She talked about her pride in Say Yes to Education as a transformative program for the city. She talked about casting aside the old ways of doing business in favor of reducing costs and making Syracuse accessible and affordable by air.

Mayor Miner sees the challenges of our city as a working laboratory to find new paths to success.  She is doing away with a phone line to complain about pot holes in favor of an online method that will fix problems more quickly.  She is doing away with a paperwork laden Code Enforcement process in favor of an information age matrix of processes that can speed up the restoration of our neighborhoods.  She is doing away with an overweight of administration on a federal aid program that has freed up a million more dollars to improve housing.

As a candidate she was criticized by her opponents as being combative and difficult to get along with, yet in her second year in City Hall she is working cooperatively with her counterpart leading Onondaga County in way rarely seen before.  She is a mayor who enjoys her work and is committed to improving our city whether it wants to be improved or not.

It would be foolish to say the State of the City of Syracuse is robust and vibrant. There are pieces and places where that is true, but not in the overall picture.  It would also be foolish to underestimate the power of a mayor at the top of her game fully engaged in making it better than when she took on the challenge one year ago.

Any questions or comment please forward them to mattsmemo@CNYcentral.com.   I may even use some of your thoughts on NBC 3 News at 5:00,  the 10:00 News on CW6 or on CNYcentral.com.                                 

The opinions expressed in this blog are the sole responsibility of the author and are not reflective of the views or opinions of Barrington Broadcasting, WSTM-NBC3, its management or employees.