The Onondaga County Legislature on Oct. 6 approved $35 million for the second phase of implementing Plan Onondaga.
It included $25 million for ONHOME — a limited development corporation (LDC) for housing — and another $10 million that'll be divided between three areas.
"The first pot is $7 million to support the semiconductor supply-chain ecosystem through economic-development agencies; $1.5 million for Main Street programs; and $1.5 million for low-interest loans to support agriculture," Nicole Watts, chair of the Onondaga County Legislature, told lawmakers in explaining the details of the measure during the Oct. 6 session.
The resolution dedicates $25 million to ONHOME, the county’s housing and neighborhood revitalization initiative. ONHOME aims to increase mixed income, workforce and affordable housing; address redevelopment barriers; and preserve existing housing stock, per an announcement from Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon's office following the legislature's approval.
Funding will support both the Mixed Income Development Fund and the Neighborhood Ownership and Improvement Fund, helping rehabilitate and reinvest in communities across the county.
Another $10 million will expand several economic and community development priorities: That includes $7 million to strengthen the regional semiconductor supply chain, $1.5 million for Main Street revitalization programs, and $1.5 million in low interest agricultural-support loans.
The county executive's office sent the measure to the legislature just hours before the Oct. 6 meeting. Most lawmakers didn't have a problem with it arriving so close to the start of the meeting, with the exception of legislator Ken Bush Jr.
He told Watts that he didn't have a problem with the end result of the $35 million in funding.
"But I do think there's a procedure that we normally follow and I'm uncomfortable with this dropping on our desk today," Bush said, noting that he would've liked more time to analyze and review the proposal.
Watts then told him that the $25 million had somewhat gone through the committee process. A housing and transportation citizen advisory board in August had spoken with lawmakers in planning and economic development. The $25 million figure hadn't officially been made public at that time and the LDC was also discussed at that time.
Watts also believes it's "absolutely crucial" for lawmakers to pass the measure in conjunction with the 2027 budget.
"Because housing is an absolute priority and we need to invest meaningfully into it and so that this is seeking to address that need and we do not want to kick that ball further down the road. It needs to happen yesterday. It needs to happen three years ago, so there's an urgency to this, which is why we're considering it today in this manner," Watts said.
In his statement released that afternoon, McMahon praised the approval of his $35 million proposal to advance the initiatives under Plan Onondaga Implementation Phase II. The money comes from the county’s general fund balance.
“Today’s approval is a major step forward for Onondaga County’s continued growth,” McMahon said in his announcement. “This investment allows us to accelerate the progress we’ve already made in expanding housing options, strengthening our semiconductor supply chain, and supporting the small businesses and farmers who are the backbone of our communities. These funds ensure that our long term economic and community development goals remain aligned with the needs of our residents, and I’m grateful for the partnership that made this possible.”
The new allocation builds on earlier initiatives from the county executive, particularly in housing. The additional resources increase program capacity, expand funding streams and better align county efforts with long term housing, economic and community-development goals, per McMahon's office.
