Ryan McMahon is beginning his first full term as Onondaga County executive.

The Republican was sworn in during a mainly private ceremony Monday morning in Syracuse.

McMahon says it’s the honor of a lifetime to be the fourth person to hold the position. He was appointed to the office when Joanie Mahoney stepped down in late 2018 and was elected to a term in his own right in November.

"Every day you can touch so many different people and help so many people,” said McMahon. “That’s beyond gratifying, and I’m just honored."

Across the county, 2019 saw new collaborations form. Microsoft announced it's opening a smart cities hub in Central New York. JPMorgan Chase awarded Syracuse $3 million to connect low-income neighbors with high-tech opportunities.

"We're really, really excited,” he said. “I think there's so many announcements and so many different collaborations in 2019 that in 2020 it's going to become real for the community as they start to see the new buildings being built and they start to see some of the alliances created with Microsoft and others."

McMahon says in 2020 we'll see development start to take shape.

"We’re going to step on the gas and continue to push and push,” said McMahon. “We can't become complacent because we've had some success. Now's the opportunity that we can build that infrastructure moving forward so we can have generational success."

One of the biggest projects to come is a $350 million warehouse in Clay. The developer has paid about a million dollars in development fees to the county, but the tenant is unknown. McMahon says he's confident we'll be talking about a company leasing the distribution center in the next month or so. It's the foundation for future projects.

"This process we went through is important for us because we have a lot to be proud of, and we'll be able to take that message and really grow the economy moving forward," said McMahon.

He has his eyes set on future projects that address poverty and infrastructure as well.