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John Mahar
Town Supervisor
John is a 39-year resident of the Town with a unique understanding of the distinct nature of each of its hamlets. He has lived in Nedrow, Split Rock, South Onondaga and Cedarvale over the years before settling in Onondaga Hill. He has extensive expertise in executive-level management, budgeting, finance, contract negotiation, conflict resolution, business operations, employee relations and relationship-building. John previously serving as the Town’s Deputy Supervisor and Town Councilor before taking office as Town Supervisor in 2021. Since then, John has spearheaded tech updates throughout town facilities to enhance efficiency and security; introduced a recruitment/retention grant program to benefit volunteer fire departments and advocated for extension of a service awards program for their longest serving members. He also advanced creation of a Town park in Southwood; launched concerts in Town parks; jumpstarted communications with residents through a new website, Facebook page and revamped resident newsletter; hosted public forums to facilitate Neighborhood Watch communities; initiated the Town’s Community Solar Project to reduce energy costs while advancing clean energy and a reduction in pollution; and razed the former Lafayette Country Club after winning a long legal battle against the former owner who had let the property become a source of criminal activity and neighborhood disruption.
Likewise, through a focus on winning government grants, he has helped secure funds for improvements to Nedrow’s business district and Shadybrook Plaza, facility upgrades at the Senior Center, installation of pickleball courts and new playgrounds at Town parks, flood mitigation at Cold Brook Creek in Nedrow, agritourism enhancements at local farms and much more – all while keeping property taxes steady.
John is a partner and the Chief Operating Officer of WSW Construction as well as a boys’ high school basketball official with the International Association of Approved Basketball Officials – where he served as board president. John’s love for the Town of Onondaga started when he was just 16 and got a job bagging groceries at Green Hills Farms. He worked his way up in the company, managing various departments and ultimately taking the reins as director of operations. John is a Sons of the American Legion member of the Valley American Legion. He has two daughters and three grandchildren and has been married to his wife, Joan, for nearly 30 years. In his leisure time, he enjoys golf, spending time with his grandkids, entertaining friends, and cooking for his family.
Kathy Fedrizzi
Town Councilor
Bio coming soon!
Lisa Goodwin
Town Councilor
Town Councilor Lisa Goodwin is a lifelong resident of the Town of Onondaga. She is a
graduate of Marcellus Central High School and LeMoyne College. Lisa has many years of
experience with the Town of Onondaga in several departments. Before being elected to the Town Board, Lisa served as the Town Clerk for sixteen years. Since becoming a Town Board member, Lisa has worked on several projects, including extending the Length of Service Award Program for the volunteer firefighters, strategizing a solution to stop the flooding in South Onondaga, working together with the Jamesville Dewitt School District to create a park for Southwood residents, and implementing energy efficiencies to become a Clean Energy Community with NYSERDA. Lisa takes special pride in serving the community, and she is grateful for their support.
Mary Ryan
Town Councilor
Town Councilor Mary Ryan is a lifelong resident of South Onondaga and a graduate of the Onondaga Central School District. She holds degrees in Biology and Chemistry from SUNY Oswego, teaching certification and a degree in School Administration from Le Moyne College, and an MBA from Chapman University.
Mary’s professional background includes work as an insurance broker, a substitute teacher in the OCS District, and a chemistry and biology teacher in the Syracuse City School District. Her expertise in education, insurance, finance, marketing, and purchasing has been a valuable asset to the Town Board.
Currently, Mary serves as Chair of the Town’s Environmental Committee, as well as a member of the Personnel and Insurance Committees. She played a key role in securing $15,000 in grant funding to upgrade lighting in the Town Hall, and assisted on two additional grant applications aimed at improving flooding issues along Onondaga Creek. These projects—developed in partnership with the Onondaga Environmental Institute and the CNY Regional Planning and Development Board—seek to reduce flooding issues and restore the creek beds of both the western and southern branches of Onondaga Creek.
Mary’s work reflects both a focus on sustainable growth and a commitment to community needs. She helped draft the windmill and solar power legislation and worked with residents to secure support for the South Onondaga Water District. In addition, she served on the Codes Committee and acted as the Town’s liaison to the Onondaga Free Library during its renovation.
Mary is an avid supporter of Syracuse University sports and is also active with the CNY Land Trust and its fundraising committee. She enjoys visiting with her neighbors, walking with her beagle, Scout—the Town Hall’s unofficial (and famously noisy) mascot—along Onondaga Creek and OCS properties, and observing local plants and wildlife.
John Wheatley
Town Councilor
Bio coming soon!
Janet Hillery
Town Clerk
Janet Hillery was elected Town Clerk in 2021, having previously served as Deputy Town Clerk and Deputy Tax Receiver. She is the Town’s official Records Management Officer, administers the Town’s service awards program for its seven local volunteer fire departments, authors Town Board meeting minutes, manages all FOIL requests, manages and audits the invoice reporting for all Town departments, is the Town’s insurance liaison, and is instrumental in the adoption of the Town’s local laws. She is a Notary Public, Passport Agent/Facility Manager, DEC License Issuing Agent/Administrator, and offers critical services for Town residents such as issuing marriage licenses, handicapped parking permits, dog licensing, coordinating local elections, and much more. Her previous experience in management, public relations, and as an educator in the Syracuse City Schools has served her well in the Town Clerk’s role. Her son and two daughters attended West Genesee Schools where she was an active volunteer in their classrooms and extracurricular activities. She is a graduate of Buffalo State College and a member of the NY Association of Local Government Records Officers, the Onondaga County Town Clerks Association, and the NYS Town Clerks Association. An avid Buffalo Bills fan, she can often be found enjoying the Jamesville dog park, or biking and hiking the trails throughout Central New York and the Adirondacks. A Town resident for 25 years, she and her husband, Dave, live in the Breckenridge neighborhood with their rescue dog Wyatt.
John Smith
Highway Superintendent
John was appointed Highway Superintendent in 2020 and elected the following year. He is responsible for keeping more than 210 lane miles in the Town well maintained for the safety of residents. In Winter, that increases to 300 miles as his team plows additional roads for the County. His department handles paving, plowing, drainage, ditching, mowing, sweeping, traffic signage, road repairs, and much more. He also runs seasonal brush pickup and the annual townwide Fall Cleanup. He oversees a multi-million-dollar budget and a crew of 20 mechanical equipment and heavy equipment operators, as well as a mechanic and administrative support staff. A lifelong resident of the Town, John is a graduate of Onondaga Central Schools, and former member of the Nedrow Volunteer Fire Department. He previously was the UAW Union Rep at New Venture Gear where he managed the Union Stewards and represented the interests of 1000+ workers across all shifts and negotiated contracts on their behalf. He also was owner/operator of a full-service landscape business before joining the Town Highway Department. John is a member of the Onondaga County Highway Superintendents Association and the New York State Highway Association and participates in advocacy efforts to help secure adequate state and county highway funding and improve worker safety programs. He has two adult children, Carly and Kyle, and a rescue dog named Bella. He is an avid sportsman who enjoys hunting, fishing, hiking, and golf.
Kathy Dwyer
Tax Receiver
A town resident for nearly 30 years, Kathy has 25+ years of experience managing multi-million dollar budgets for private and public corporations at the executive level and co-founded and served as president of a successful public relations firm. She was communications director for two State Senators, is a former news reporter/editor, and recipient of numerous awards for entrepreneurship and community service from Syracuse University, the American Red Cross, and others. Her children attended Westhill Schools, where Kathy was a room mom, events chair, and secretary of the PTO. In her 4+ years as Town Tax Receiver, she has modernized the office, implemented significant operational cost-savings initiatives, and created new revenue streams for the town through shared savings agreements with school districts and participation in NYCLSS. She is a member of the Onondaga County and New York State Tax Receivers Associations, a member of Tuscarora Golf Club, and volunteers at the Beak & Skiff Summer Concert Series. She and her husband, Marty, have been married for 35 years and have two grown children.
Patrick Kilmartin
Town Justice
Bio coming soon!
Paul Mullin
Town Justice
Bio coming soon!
Rich McCarron
County Legislator
The oldest of seven children, Rich was born in Brooklyn, NY, and raised in Central New Jersey. In 1988, he moved to Syracuse to attend Lemoyne College, and he never left.
In 1991, Rich was selected to become a Deputy Sheriff Police Officer for the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office, a role in which he proudly served for over 20 years. During his tenure with the Sheriff's Office, Rich served as a Patrol Deputy, a Major Crimes Detective, a Patrol Sergeant, Supervisor of the Sheriff's Community Relations Unit, and as Supervisor in an inter-municipal Police Anti-Crime Team, targeting violent criminals in the City of Syracuse.
When Rich retired in 2011, he became a real estate agent and is now an Associate Real Estate Broker with eXp Realty. He is the Team Leader and business owner of his Real Estate Team, which services all of Central New York.
Rich was appointed as 11th District Onondaga County Legislator in March of 2023. He’s been hard at work serving his residents in the towns of Onondaga, Otisco, and parts of Geddes ever since. He’s now Vice Chairperson of the Legislature’s Public Safety Committee, Vice Chairperson of the Legislature’s Health & Human Services Committee, and Chairman of the Town of Onondaga Republican Committee.
Rich is a true family man who never forgets the importance of "family first". He has been married to his wife, Dawn, for almost 30 years. They have two children–Patrick, who works at NYU while also pursuing his master's degree, and Katie, who is currently a Sophomore at UNC Greensboro. Their three dogs, Jax, Mabel, and Ruby, are just as much family members!