From the Eagle Bulletin: Olson gives 10th District county legislature update
I regularly provide updates to the village boards in Minoa and Fayetteville, and to the Town Board in Manlius. Below is an article printed in the Eagle Bulletin, which was written by Jason Klaiber who attended the Minoa meeting.
VILLAGE OF MINOA – Mark Olson, the Onondaga County legislator for the 10th District, gave a presentation to the Minoa Village Board July 14 with updates on what has been happening at the county level.
Olson said the county’s $1.5 billion budget for 2025 included a 9% reduction in the property tax rate, which has decreased nearly 35% altogether since 2018. He said the county is trying its best to counteract the increases in assessments with reductions to the tax rate.
Olson went on to say that the county has invested $220 million into housing and that 17,000 housing units are currently in the planning or development stages.
As for lead abatement initiatives, Olson said the county is slowly but surely finding enough individuals to become certified contractors, and a mobile testing lab has been unveiled to test for lead exposure and detect any poisoning in the blood. “There is some more work to be done, but we’re putting the money in where we can to help with lead,” he said.
During his presentation Olson also discussed legislation he sponsored, which has since passed, to install cameras on area school buses. That student-safeguarding program being rolled out will capture footage of anyone who passes buses that have their red lights flashing and stop arms extended, and fines will be administered to the registered owners of those vehicles at no cost to taxpayers. The goal is for that stop arm camera program to be operational by the start of the 2025-2026 school year, Olson said. The county would receive a share of the fines collected and use that to cover costs related to the program like public education and crosswalk training.
Olson added that state grant funding has been accepted by the county to enhance diversion programs for at-risk youth and hire a school-based threat assessment coordinator.
He said that’s to deal with behavioral issues right when they come along and not later, all while working with the parents, city police, sheriffs, the probation department, the court system and social services programs.
Olson also talked about efforts to revitalize the CNY Regional Market and use its food to service area schools, the county’s Shape-Up program that helps eligible homeowners on fixed incomes and veterans with the costs of necessary home repairs, as well as the nearly $1 million reinvested in the county’s Main Street program in the 10th District, which comprises the villages of Minoa and Fayetteville.
Olson said he’s working on securing more funding for improvements to village infrastructure like sidewalks, curbs and street lights.
Olson further said that the county’s Emergency Operations Center is being renamed in honor of Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant Michael Hoosock and its “Wall of Heroes” will bear the name of Officer Michael Jensen and other fallen first responders. Hoosock and Jensen were both killed in the line of duty the same night in April 2024.