This weekend on In Focus, Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh sits down with JoDee Kenney to talk about his ongoing plans to Reinvent the Salt City. With just two years to go in his second, and final, term in office, Mayor Walsh reflected on his tenure and said there’s no time to slow down in reaching the goal of leaving the city better than he found it. That includes Syracuse’s fiscal footing, Walsh said the city continues to find ways to grow revenue as it continues down a path toward sustainability. On public safety, the mayor said while violent crime was down over 2022, property crime, including auto theft, has seen a spike. Walsh said data-driven and community policing strategies are being employed, and the small number of people responsible for committing a large portion of these crimes have to be held accountable.

Looking to the future of the City of Syracuse, Mayor Walsh credits funding for major infrastructure improvements like the I-81 redesign project are laying the foundation. In addition, the mayor said the city is being proactive on making repairs to water lines. He also talked about developing a new housing strategy for Syracuse that would not only provide affordable options, but also provide an avenue to improve the quality of current properties. Mayor Walsh said the city is also capitalizing on regional investments in the tech industry, including Micron’s planned multi-billion-dollar facility, through the city’s Syracuse Surge program and recent groundbreaking for the first STEAM School in the Syracuse City School District, that will also serve students throughout the region.

You can watch the full interview with Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh via the video player above. And be sure to tune in for a look inside the biggest issues impacting Upstate New York, on In Focus with JoDee Kenney — every Sunday on Spectrum News 1.