VOTE411 Voter Guide

Affordability, Healthcare and Safe Housing. People are struggling to afford basic necessities. We need to ensure that we are effectively adding housing options to our community. Those options may look different than they have in the past, as we need to meet the needs of our residents. Not all people desire to own a home, and our current rental options do not always work for some families. We see an increased need for apartments that offer more than 3 bedrooms. As well as an increased need for affordable childcare, and better transportation. We need to work with our city, county and state partners to address these needs. Taxing the rich at the state level would give us the best opportunity to accomplish these goals. Passing the New York Health Act would be a step towards better healthcare in NY State, absent a federal option for Universal Healthcare. Overall we need better county investments into the needs of residents.

I will always be present for the people. Whether it be town halls, public hearings, or on social media, I will use all available options to get information to the people who elected me to make sure they are informed on the decisions being made at the county, and topics being discussed. Part of why many residents become disengaged in the election process is because they feel their voices are ignored, and they are not given an opportunity to vote on many things that are presented before the legislature. We need more referendums that go to the voters to decide. I will work with constituents to address making the legislature meetings and the legislature overall more accessible to the residents of Onondaga County.

Onondaga County's most pressing challenge is housing. We face a critical shortage spanning affordable, subsidized, and market rate units, forcing families out and holding back economic growth. Much of our existing housing stock is aging and needs substantial investment. As a member of this year's Majority, I am fighting through the budget process to change that. We have the leverage the County Executive cannot pass a budget without us and I intend to use it. That means pushing for real, accountable dollars: funding for tax credits, low-interest loans, and grants that make affordable development financially viable. It means directing county resources toward rehabilitation of deteriorating properties. It means streamlining government processes so developers can build with confidence. Rhetoric is not enough. I am committed to securing specific budget allocations tied to measurable outcomes units built, families housed, neighborhoods stabilized.

When I ran, I promised transparency. I've kept that promise. As Chair of the Facilities Committee, I created the venue for accountability, bringing constituent concerns about the aquarium's secret donor funding into the public light. By giving legislators and residents a platform to raise hard questions, that pressure led to the legislature unanimously passing a new disclosure law. When the Friends of the Zoo came forward alleging retaliation for refusing to donate $1 million to the aquarium, I gave them a public platform in my committee. Within days, an agreement was reached. Transparency isn't a talking point for me, it's how I govern. I will always use my position to open the door for hard conversations, hold public hearings, and amplify constituent concerns. I believe government works best when it works in the open. Every major decision I make will be communicated clearly and honestly with the people I represent. That's not just a promise, it's my record.