VILLAGE OF FAYETTEVILLE – Intent on staying in place as the mayor of Fayetteville, recently elected 10th District representative Mark Olson will have more to juggle with that expanded jurisdiction.
Even so, he said he welcomes the opportunity to better Onondaga County government by addressing concerns coming from not only his hometown but some of its surrounding communities as well.
“It’s an honor and a privilege to get to do this job,” Olson said. “I’m looking forward to doing it for the next two years and hopefully beyond.”
The 54-year-old decided to run for the county legislature seat at the start of 2021, about two months after long-standing incumbent Kevin Holmquist announced he would be stepping down from the position.
As he spent the late winter, spring, summer and early fall campaigning, Olson said he sought to stay positive and attentively listen to constituents without letting national-level issues break too heavily into the conversation.
“Whoever the person is in that office, it’s not about their politics,” he said. “At the end of the day, people just want their government to function. They don’t want us to fight or argue or go after each other. They want us to get things done.”
Apart from attending county legislature and standing committee meetings to brush up on their procedures, he also hosted 23 episodes of “People For Olson,” a podcast leading up to the election that featured mostly one-on-one interviews with local officials and business owners.
Though the ballots were not fully counted until mid-November, Olson raked in more than 4,000 votes by the time the 51%-to-49% outcome of his race against Manlius Town Councilor Heather Waters was made official.
Having won by eight votes upon his first bid for mayor in 2004, the Republican candidate had grown used to narrowly clinched victories, but never before had one of his wins been the culmination of so many yard sign placements and so much fundraising.
The postponed decision, however, meant that he had to wait before jumping into required pre-holiday readings, specifically the charter defining the legislature’s responsibilities and the pair of studies covering the $85 million Syracuse Inner Harbor aquarium and the $25 million Salina sports complex.
Easing into the role, Olson said he will be capable of adjusting to the balance required of him, especially with the support of his family and his co-workers in the food service industry.
“Timewise, it’s one of these things that I’ll figure out,” he said. “I always say if you want to get something done, give it to someone who’s busy.”
Olson said he has thought through situations with Fayetteville Deputy Mayor Dan Kinsella to see where the latter could step in and take initiative if a conflict of commitments arises. He has also drawn advice from former and current county legislators, including Dan Liedka, who has obtained experience as both the mayor of East Syracuse and the representative for the 7th District.
In the new year, Olson said he looks forward to collaborating with his fellow legislators regardless of party label while working in a different capacity with one-time opponent Waters, the rest of Manlius’ town board, school superintendents Dr. Donna DeSiato and Dr. Craig Tice, and village mayors Paul Whorrall and Bill Brazill.
Olson’s list of goals involves listening tours around the area and what he calls “connecting the dots,” a process that would be exhibited through the unification of senior citizens and social service programs, the linking of libraries and recreation committees, and the building of a greater bond between public works departments and highway garages.
Olson will be only the third person since 1980 to fulfill the role of Onondaga County Legislator in the 10th District. Holmquist served 16 years in that post, and before him, Terry Pickard served 25 years.
Extending to the borders of the towns of DeWitt, Pompey and Sullivan, the 10th District covers all of Manlius, all of Fayetteville and about three-quarters of Minoa.
