Residents and officials are now reacting to the announcement that Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano is on the short list for lieutenant governor.

Spano told News 12 on Tuesday that he’s honored to be considered. He said if given the opportunity, he feels ready to make the move back to Albany, where he once served as a state assemblyman.

Spano is the longest-tenured mayor in Yonkers' history, serving for the last 14 years. Some Yonkers residents and a Republican city council member say if he's chosen, it could have positive benefits for Yonkers.

Councilman Anthony Merante says he’s not surprised by the announcement.

“It could help us move things along here in the City of Yonkers. So, I have nothing personal against the mayor here. Him and I are very good friends. We have disagreements, but I agree with most of what he does," says Merante. "It might be a good decision, you know, because a lot of people who really, you know, take to Spano and they like him," says Barbara Pridgen, a former Yonkers resident.