The Onondaga County Legislature passed two ballot referendums and a Cycle Safety Local Law for vulnerable road users at our June session. After the legislature passes local laws, the county executive is required to hold a public hearing. This is a great way to share your public comments about these local laws. If the county executive signs these laws, the voters will have the final say on implementing term limits for the county executive and having legislator vacancies be appointed by the legislature, instead of the county executive in November on whether these changes happen. Please attend the public hearings if you can.
Public Hearings
Thursday, June 11, 2026 at 1:00pm
14th Floor, County Executive’s Office in the Civic Center
421 Montgomery St, Syracuse
I voted yes on all three of these local laws, here is why:
Local Law Amending Section 205 of the Onondaga County Charter Regarding Vacancies in the Onondaga County Legislature
We have seen in the past, legislators resign during their term to take county jobs. I believe one reason this happens is because the county executive knows he gets to appoint their replacement. To prevent this from happening in the future and for creating a more transparent process, I support changing this responsibility to the county legislature. Onondaga County is the only county among the 18 counties with charters that allow the county executive to appoint legislators to fill vacancies. This decision should be with the voters and I support passing this important change to see what the voters decide.
A Local Law Amending the Onondaga County Charter to Impose a Term Limit on the Office of County Executive
Just as 12 year limits have been placed on legislators by the voters, it makes sense that the county executive position would also be subject to term limits as well. Especially knowing that in 65 years we have only had 4 county executives. This is a good change to make if voters choose too in November. I also support this same change for the county comptroller and look forward to moving that forward in July. It is important for this to be passed as a charter change as this would not be able to be changed in the future without again going to the voters if any changes were desired.
Read More on Syracuse.com: Democrats pass laws to limit Onondaga County executive’s power, but will he veto?
A Local Law to Ensure the Safety of Vulnerable Road Users in Onondaga County
I have heard from many residents about not feeling safe biking and walking as many of our communities do not yet have the infrastructure needed for shared roadways. While we need to build better infrastructure for all users of our roads, this is a local law we can pass to provide a definition of what is a safe distance for those using the road that are not in a car. Currently New York vehicle law states that drivers should pass at a safe distance, but doesn’t define a distance of what safe passage means. This local law will help drivers and law enforcement know what a safe distance is. I am happy to support this local legislation.
Read More on WRVO: Onondaga County legislators take up local law to define a safe limit to pass
These all passed by majority vote, if the County Executive vetos any of these we will need 2 Republicans to vote with the majority to override a veto. This is why it is important to attend the county executive’s public hearing on June 11th to tell him to sign these local laws. If you have any questions or comments about these you would like to share with me, please contact me.
Thank you!
More Info About June Session: Legislature Passes Two Ballot Referendums and Cycle Safety Local Law for Vulnerable Road Users
