VOTE411 Voter Guide

One of the most important challenges we face in the near future is effectively managing the various needs brought by the Micron project in Onondaga County. For my district, in Southern Onondaga County, this includes balancing the need for housing vs farmland protection. Estimates suggest Onondaga County could grow by thousands of residents. While most of the housing pressure will be in the northern part of the County, it will undoubtedly spread to the southern towns. While town governments have considerable say as to the location and how much housing to permit, the county plays a role in helping the towns develop their comprehensive plans. I am securing grant funding for each town in my district to update their comprehensive plans, many of which haven't changed in over 20 years. As these new plans are developed, I will work with the Towns and County planning to ensure that valuable, productive, farmland is not jeopardized.

Transparency in government has always been a priority of mine. As Chair of the Legislature during the Covid pandemic, I initiated new policies in conjunction with open meeting laws, to begin live-streaming legislature meetings. Since that time, with changes in technology, I have supported more robust live-streaming and publication of minutes. I believe the best way to communicate and connect with constituents is by being present in the district. I regularly attend Town Board meetings as well as School Board meetings and community events. I am very approachable and encourage constituents to express their opinion on any County issue of concern to them. I answer my own emails, return phone calls, and visit constituents individually as needed. Because of my presence in the district, I can't hide from controversial issues or votes which allows constituents to hold me accountable at any time.

The most important challenges for the county are managing the population growth that is coming because of Micron and ensuring its operations do not pollute our soil and water. Onondaga County must increase housing construction to not only meet that need, but also to combat the general crisis in housing affordability. To address the housing shortage, I support programs that promote mixed income housing development, such as the O-CHIP program and the proposed Builders Fund. However, the county must avoid sprawl that endangers our green spaces and farmland by concentrating development in areas that already have infrastructure in place for dense housing. Moreover, to ensure that we keep our land and water clean, the County Legislature must require that environmental reviews be made public before county funding is committed to projects and appoint members of the OCIDA who will make environmental issues a major priority.

I will ensure that constituents can easily reach me by phone, social media, or email. In addition, I will regularly hold town halls to discuss the issues facing the community as well as proposed legislation. This will allow constituents and community members to come together and express their concerns in a public forum. Moreover, I will make sure that constituents can easily access any proposed legislation I offer or support, and that my voting record will be made clear online. By clearly disclosing both the legislation I support and my votes on proposed legislation, constituents will be able to hold me directly accountable.