My Vote: Why it matters to you

The Legislature approved a $27 million loan to the Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency for land purchases to help attract semiconductor supply companies to our county. This $27 million investment will help bring good-paying jobs, increase local tax revenues, and ensure that our children and grandchildren have the opportunity to thrive right here in Onondaga County.

My opponent says this money should go to the community, not corporations. But this investment is going into the community in the form of jobs, growth, and long-term tax revenue that funds the very programs she claims to support. This money is so much more than just for land. It will be used to continue laying the cornerstone of the most transformative economic opportunity our region has seen in generations. So much has already happened and if we don’t act, we risk stalling momentum. But by acting boldly and wisely, as we did, we are helping write a new chapter of Onondaga County – our shared community.

This land acquisition is critical. Without it, these supply companies may choose to locate elsewhere. By saying, ‘hey, we are ready for you and have land right near the Micron site’ we are encouraging them to come to Onondaga County. Already, more than a dozen supply chain companies have expressed interest, but they need ready land. If we delay, they will go elsewhere. This loan will create jobs for us, and our children down the road. That means more sales tax and property tax from these workers, money that goes back into county-led public programs and services.

It also means we’ll be reversing decades of population loss and bringing back the kind of prosperity that allows families to stay here and to thrive here.

I understand why some view this loan with skepticism, even frustration, and recognize that in times of rising costs and competing priorities, every public dollar demands scrutiny. I’ve reviewed all the details of this loan and feel strongly that it generates a long-term investment in our community and our people. We are standing at the epicenter of an industry that will shape the 21st century in Onondaga
County. A new chapter of innovation, of jobs, and of hope is ready to begin and we should be doing all we can to help it start, not stand in its way.

This vote wasn’t about land or corporations it was about opportunity for the people of Onondaga County. I stand by it because I believe in our future. For the record, Onondaga County Is putting millions into the programs and services that need it. We are investing in our community and tackling the issues my opponent tries to tell you we’re not doing anything about.

It’s all public information, and anyone can find it. One just has to look.