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Democratic Onondaga County Legislator Bill Kinne is running against incumbent Ryan McMahon to fulfill the county executive position in the upcoming November election.

Kinne’s campaign messaging centers around bringing integrity and honesty to the Onondaga County government while advocating for transparency with the community. McMahon, who has held the position since being elected in 2018, is ensuring citizens that he’s a focused, innovative and committed county executive in his campaign.

Both candidates are lifelong Syracuse residents who are coming into the election with years of experience serving in local government roles. The candidates debated on Sept. 5, where McMahon expressed his support of collaborating with Micron, and Kinne took a firmer stance on issues like mental health and the lead crisis in Syracuse.

Kinne grew up on Ostrander Ave. on the south side of Syracuse and graduated from Corcoran High School in 1974. He then earned an associate of arts and sciences and administration of justice degrees at Onondaga Community College, and a Criminal Justice degree at Arizona State University.

Kinne served as Onondaga County Legislator for the 15th District from 1992 to 2011, and again from 2020 to 2023. Part of the 15th District encompasses the surrounding areas of SU’s campus including the Westcott, University Hill and South Campus neighborhoods. Inbetween his two terms, Kinne experienced a brain bleed, leading him to serve as a Legislative Aide for the County Legislature from 2012 to 2018.

After 31 years working for the county, Kinne emphasized his commitment to the community and his willingness to be present for Syracuse residents’ needs.

“I want voters to know that I will listen to them,” Kinne said. “(I) can’t always agree with them, but I will listen to them and I will do the best I possibly can.”

McMahon grew up in Syracuse’s Strathmore neighborhood and has participated within the community over the years through coaching sports teams and volunteering for nonprofits. He went to Bishop Ludden Junior-Senior High School and earned his degree in political science and business administration from LeMoyne College. McMahon served six years as a Common Councilor for the City of Syracuse representing the third council district and spent seven years as Chair of the Onondaga County Legislature.

McMahon said that while he’s faced many challenges in his term, like responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, he feels this has made him grow into a stronger candidate. If reelected, he anticipates working with Micron on its new semiconductor manufacturing plant in Clay.

“We put together a post-COVID recovery strategy and implemented that strategy and because of that, we’re seeing some of the greatest economic successes in the history of the United States with the White Pine Business park and with Micron technology coming so, you know, this race is about performance,” McMahon said.

If elected, Kinne said he hopes to open up the wall between himself and the people, being able to talk about what is happening freely and ethically. He said he hopes that this will bring light to the present issues in the city that need fixing, such as financial hardships.

“My biggest goals are to be a more transparent county government, more honest county government and to deal with poverty and infrastructure,” Kinne said.

Kinne said that though McMahon already has a large following from his previous term in office, he remains optimistic about his chances. Kinne said his strong campaign staff is helping him gain publicity in the community.

“I’m going all over the county, going wherever I’m invited,” Kinne said. “With all that free publicity that the current executive has and the money he has, I’m very positive because I’ve been talking to the voters and all sections of this county, and they are not happy with the present county executive, so I think my chances are good.”

One of Kinne’s main goals if elected is to stop the construction of the $85 million aquarium in Syracuse’s inner harbor, a project he said is a waste to put money toward.

Since McMahon’s term began in 2018, he has executed investments, programs and policies, including an initiative called the “PIE Plan,” which works to address poverty, infrastructure and economic development in the county. His campaign for this year’s election revolves around being focused, innovative and committed.

In February 2022, McMahon sent a letter to New York state requesting them to alter COVID-19 protocols in schools, such as lifting the mask mandate, stating that they were “no longer in a state of emergency.”

As McMahon reflected on his term, he said he wants to continue focusing on economic development and bringing more green spaces to the county. He also emphasized the importance of being fiscally responsible as a county government, something he has aimed for in the past and will continue to do.

“I’ve put forward six balanced budgets, and we’ve delivered surpluses, five straight years, and because of those areas, we’ve been able to cut property tax rates to the lowest in the county’s history,” McMahon said. “That’s certainly something that we will continue to do while we make key investments.”

McMahon’s vision for the future of Onondaga County is planted mainly in economic growth, which he believes is not only possible, but could also have an immense impact on the development of the community.

“Certainly, we are going to be the hub for memory semiconductor manufacturing in North America, if not the world, and there’s going to be economic opportunities like we’ve never seen before,” McMahon said.

With the election approaching, McMahon said that Kinne opposed and “worked against” his vision, creating a stark difference between the two candidates and their voters. He said he feels confident running against Kinne due to his previous accomplishments in office and the future he has in mind for the county.

“I have respect for (Kinne) and his family. But I think overall, you know, this isn’t about (Kinne). This is about our performance, our leadership, our vision for the community,” McMahon said. “And if you like the direction this community is going in, then you stick with the team that got you there.”

Kinne expressed his disapproval of how McMahon has performed as county executive.

“The present county executive, in my mind, represents everything that’s wrong with politics, and he needs to be out of office,” Kinne said.

Election day is on Nov. 7, and early voting will take place between Oct. 28 and Nov. 6.

Published on October 4, 2023 at 11:56 pm

Contact Roxanne: rmboychu@syr.edu