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Stephanie Miner

Mayor

Stephanie A. Miner is the 53rd Mayor of the City of Syracuse. Born on April 30, 1970, she became involved in politics at an early age, stuffing envelopes for local candidates at her Grandmother Cooney’s kitchen table in the Eastwood neighborhood. Mayor Miner was elected on November 3, 2009 in a three-way race, receiving 50.1% of the vote. She became the first woman elected Mayor of any of the “Big 5” cities in New York State.She attended Syracuse University, graduating Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in Political Science and Journalism in 1992. After college, she worked as the Assistant Upstate Coordinator for the Geraldine Ferraro for U.S. Senate campaign and then served as Central New York Regional Representative for Governor Mario Cuomo. In 1999, Miner earned her J.D. from SUNY Buffalo and began working at Blitman & King, LLP as a labor lawyer, representing unions and employees.Mayor Miner became a Syracuse Common Councilor-at-Large after winning city-wide election in 2001 when she was 31 years old. Re-elected to the Council in 2005, Mayor Miner received the most votes of any candidate on the ballot, including the incumbent Mayor. As a Common Councilor, she championed and helped pass legislation that gave $1 million in initial funding to Say Yes to Education, a program that provides necessary support services for Syracuse City School District students and promises free or reduced college tuition to students who graduate from City high schools.Even prior to taking office, Mayor Miner saw the precarious financial situation the City of Syracuse held. With this understanding, Mayor Miner began the difficult task of right-sizing City government and consolidating various services. Through inter-municipal agreements, the City of Syracuse and Onondaga County consolidated their purchasing departments into a single entity. Mayor Miner has taken a leading role in the discussion of municipal finance across New York State, working with a coalition of large city mayors to develop strategies and solutions for coping with financial pressures. She established by executive order the Syracuse Municipal Financial Advisory Board to develop a plan for addressing the fiscal concerns of the city. Mayor Miner has made sustainability a top priority. She understands the great potential Syracuse has as a leader in the global green movement, bringing together the resources of government, higher education, and the living classroom our environment has to offer. One of her first acts as Mayor was the establishment of the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability. This is the first time in decades that City government has had an office focused on urban planning, while also integrating the principles of environmental, social and economic sustainability. The new department has already seen success, including the advancement of the Onondaga Creekwalk, the Syracuse Connective Corridor and the drafting of a revised Comprehensive Plan for the City of Syracuse. Utilizing the newly passed state Land Bank legislation, the city authorized the creation of the Greater Syracuse Property Development Corporation to expedite the sale and redevelopment of vacant and tax delinquent properties. The City of Syracuse has seen record economic development since Mayor Miner has taken office. In her three years as Mayor, the Construction Permit Values have skyrocketed, with a total figure of nearly $330 million in 2012. Additionally, Mayor Miner co-located the economic development office with the county economic development staff. Additionally, to better work with local businesses, Mayor Miner spearheaded the effort to develop the Syracuse Regional Airport Authority to create greater efficiency at the Hancock International Airport, attracting new airlines and working with local businesses to make the airport a successful tool for the local economy. Mayor Miner has also redeveloped the Joint Schools Construction Board which overseeing a multi-million dollar effort to rebuild and remodel all Syracuse City School buildings.