Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh said he has learned different leadership traits while leading the city during the pandemic, and explained why he still considers himself an eternal optimist.
“It has impacted me personally and professionally in just about every way possible, and I would imagine most people would say the same,” Walsh said.
The pandemic took hold of the world two years into Ben Walsh’s term as Syracuse mayor. Like all other elected officials, he had to learn how to toe the line between governance and public health.
“As the health experts learn more, our responses have had to adapt, adjust and change, and so in that way, it’s been very unpredictable and very challenging," Walsh said. "I think all along, the way we’ve taken care of each other, we’ve largely been led by science, data and the facts, and that’s ultimately led us in the right direction while understanding we ultimately don’t know what’s around the next corner,” said Walsh.
Walsh says the county largely took the lead during the pandemic and it required collaboration.
“Where we haven’t seen eye to eye with each other or with the state, largely we’ve been able to manage differences in opinions and disagreements in respectful and ultimately productive ways. But like any relationship, it requires nurturing and investment and an understanding that you’re not always going to agree, but as long as everyone continues to come to the table as we have, we’re going to get through it,” said Walsh.
As vaccine hesitancy remains and new variants pass through the community, Walsh says he is concerned, but not panicked.
And he remains hopeful.
“The reality is that for the foreseeable future, we do have to continue to learn to live with the virus. I think we’ve gotten better at that with the advancement of the vaccine and additional ways to address it have helped us to live with it,” said Walsh. “I’m an eternal optimist, so I continue to be hopeful that people will come to the conclusion that we do need to follow the science and the vaccine is our best tool.”
