Olson to resign as mayor

VILLAGE OF FAYETTEVILLE – Mark Olson, the longtime mayor of Fayetteville, has officially announced that he will be stepping down from his village seat once the new year arrives.
Olson’s submitted resignation letter gives notice that he will be working just the same through the rest of 2023, right up until he walks away from his position on Tuesday, Jan. 2.
Relinquishing the role is a requirement under a recently passed code of ethics section that prohibits him from maintaining the roles of mayor and 10th District Onondaga County legislator simultaneously. He was reelected to a second term as legislator over the fall.
Recalling the day 28 years ago when he came on as a new Fayetteville trustee, Olson said during his last board of trustees meeting Dec. 18 that he’s been “honored and humbled” ever since to be part of the village’s government.
In 2004, he became mayor on his first bid, winning the local election by just eight votes. He said he will miss being mayor because he always enjoyed the overall demands of the position and stayed mindful of the impact he could make, never feeling like it was a job.
“I live by the motto ‘Love what you do, and you’ll never work a day in your life,’” Olson said. “To be able to serve and help people is something that I think is so important, and I’m truly blessed to have been able to do something I love for the last 20 years.”
Olson said one of his biggest goals from the start was to leave the village in even better condition than it was in when he received the reins as mayor—a goal he believes he did everything in his power to achieve, he added.
As the final meeting with Olson at the helm wound down, he highlighted some of the projects and accomplishments over the years of his tenure, from park improvements in Fayetteville to the securing of more than $8 million in grants for the village.
He said the most important accomplishment, however, was working through any disagreements that arose and joining with the employees of the village, the members of its departments, and the volunteers of its boards and commissions to do what’s best for the residents.
“I am not who I am without the help of the trustees and everybody that works for the village,” Olson said. “They all do the right thing and they do it every day unselfishly.”
Calling Fayetteville “truly one of the best villages in New York,” Olson also thanked the mayors who preceded him for all they gave to the village and for the inspiration they provided.
Wiping a tear from his eye, Olson went on to acknowledge the sacrifices made by his supportive wife, Mary, with whom he just celebrated 30 years of marriage, 28 of those spent with him in public office.
He said that he and Mary “made it work” as they divided parenting duties and rearranged plans and that she “held down the fort” through all the board meetings, village events, budget workshops, out-of-town conferences, and late-night calls that needed his attention.
He said the mayoral life he’s led is all his two sons, Nate and Noah, have ever known since they were born.
“But I hope I’ve made them proud—that’s one of my goals too,” Olson said. “I’m looking forward to trying to spend a lot more time with the family.”
Olson is stepping down as the longest-serving mayor in Fayetteville, New York’s history, going all the way back to its incorporation as a village in 1844.
Before he took over as mayor, he was a deputy chief of the Fayetteville Fire Department, and to show appreciation for both his time as mayor and his life membership with their department, a group of local firefighters filled the edges of the room at the Dec. 18 village board meeting and hugged or shook hands with Olson one by one after the meeting was adjourned.
“You’re always there for your fellow firefighter no matter what,” Olson said. “That they were there for me just showed why they’re a special group of people. It’s a great organization that’s community-oriented all the time.”
The other members of the board also thanked the mayor for his dedication, with Trustee Dan Kinsella commending his enthusiasm and foresight while telling him it was a pleasure to work by his side.
After Jan. 2, the mayor seat in Fayetteville will remain vacant until a new occupant is elected this March. In the meantime, Deputy Mayor Mike Small will handle the responsibilities of mayor like running the board of trustees meetings and signing paychecks, but without assuming the title.
Olson clarified that he will still be representing the municipality as an elected official, only it will be in his capacity as county legislator for the 10th District, which comprises Fayetteville and neighboring Minoa.
As he transitions out of the mayoral role—something he said will take some adjusting—he said he won’t close himself off and that he’ll lend guidance wherever possible and direct residents to the right people if they email or call him.