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McMahon Looks to Unify as Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon Looks to Unify as New Onondaga County Executive

Ryan McMahon voted Mahoney's Replacement, to be sworn in by November 1st

By Ally Heath

Ryan McMahon stands at a podium and speaks as the County Legislature looks on from the bench.
© 2018 Ally Heath

Ryan McMahon has never been one to let an opportunity pass by. So his son Jack’s reaction to the news of the open County Executive seat was no surprise to Mom and Dad.

MCMAHON: “What do you have a new job or something? So just from the minds of the kids, it’s just great.”

On Tuesday, the Onondaga County Legislature nominated and approved McMahon as the new Executive. In his speech to the floor, fellow Legislator Kevin Holmquist says McMahon is the missing piece to a county government that divided some under current Executive Joanie Mahoney.

HOLMQUIST: “The taxpayers want their representatives to work together, and we’ve always work well together, we work well with the municipalities. I think that Ryan McMahon will close the loop nicely and we as a community will work well together.”

In his own speech, McMahon emphasized the need for continued bipartisan cooperation for the government to do its job effectively.

MCMAHON: “The potential of “we” moving forward understands that as a region and as a county, we are truly in this together.”

HEATH: “But before McMahon moves into his new office on the 14th floor of the civic center, he went back to the legislature to reflect on his tenure as County Chairman.”

MCMAHON: “I’ve spent a lot of time here with these people, and even though I’m still going to be working with everyone here, It’ll be a different role, it’ll be different, and this place means a lot to me.”

McMahon says his last day in the session will likely be next week’s budget meeting on the 9th as he expects to be sworn into his new role before November first. Reporting in Syracuse, I’m Ally Heath, Citrus-T-V News.

By Ally Heath SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Ryan McMahon is not known to back down from an opportunity.

Back in 2012, McMahon challenged seasoned politicians for the Chairman’s seat before he was even sworn in to the Onondaga County Legislature. Last week, he made another political move, this time for the County Executive’s office.

When Joanie Mahoney announced she was stepping down to take over an advisory role at SUNY-ESF and SUNY-Upstate, McMahon knew he wanted to take his shot at reuniting a divided Republican party in Onondaga County.

Mahoney leaves office with little support from the Republican Party, her own party, because of disagreements with party leadership in the county. To some legislators, the disconnect slowed progress in the government.

In the eyes of Republican Legislator Kevin Holmquist, McMahon’s ability to respect outside opinions helps him in unifying people who would traditionally be at a standstill.

“The taxpayers want their representatives to work together, and we’ve always work well together, we work well with the municipalities,” said Holmquist. “I think that Ryan McMahon will close the loop nicely and we as a community will work well together.”

But beyond his party, McMahon wanted to take his work towards making bipartisan cooperation in the County Legislature the norm on a bigger stage.

At the start of his time in the legislature, the furniture was pushed to opposite sides of the room, showing distinct party lines, noted Democratic Legislator Christopher Ryan, even without an active session.

But as he prepares to leave the legislature, he says the bipartisan progress made in the last year is miles ahead of what he could have dreamed of  in 2012. Even the desks are closer together now.

“The potential of  ‘we’ moving forward understands that as a region and as a county, we are truly in this together,” said McMahon.

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