Kevin Meaker, a Republican, is running to represent the Onondaga County Legislature’s 2nd District. Meaker has represented the district since January 2024, after being elected to serve his first term in the legislature.

He previously served from 2017 to 2023 as a town councilor in Clay.

Meaker owns his own real estate company.

Editor’s note: This interview was edited for length and clarity.

Kevin Meaker, a Republican, is running unopposed to keep his seat as the Onondaga County Legislature’s 2nd District representative.

Central Current: How will you make up for the potential lack of funding for the aquarium?

Kevin Meaker: All funding will come from fundraising, private donation, not from the county legislature. The current legislature has spoken clearly about it, that funding will come from donations. Period. 

Central Current: How will you handle the loss of funding to services like SNAP and Medicaid?

Meaker: That’s something that hasn’t happened yet. And that’s gonna be something that will first fall on the county executive to make those decisions first, and then if this legislature needs to step in and make some decisions, then we’ll do what we do always: Take a good look at what options are there. It’s a difficult question to answer fully right now because we don’t have those full effects in front of us at this moment in time. And there are other people that will make decisions locally before the legislature has to, if we have to. I’m confident if we have to, those decisions will be made with the best interests of the county residents at heart first. 

Central Current: The Legislature passed two resolutions to transfer a parcel of land along Onondaga Lake to the Onondaga Nation. As a legislator, do you believe you have a role in facilitating a transfer? If so, what is that role?

Meaker: Well, I’m familiar a little with that. I do know that there are some legal challenges that are posed right now to make it happen. My stance on it is that the Onondaga Nation is worthy and deserving of their requests, I’ll say that. But I also will say that this is again more of an accounting, executive, you know, matter, and I do know that him and his team are working diligently to do the right thing. I know that. And there are some challenges that are presented right now that are valid on both sides. So again, if and when the time comes, I’ll have more facts in front of me, and I can give a better answer there, but I do know that there’s a lot more to it than meets the eye. 

LR: In a hypothetical scenario where federal funding for Onondaga County is conditioned on the basis of the County Sheriff’s Office cooperating with ICE operations, would you be in favor of supporting that collaboration? Why or why not?

Meaker: I have very little experience in law enforcement. It’s not something that I have ever been in. And I do know that the Sheriff–I’ll say this: law enforcement, if another law enforcement agency is in trouble, and needs assistance, to protect them, from each other, then they should absolutely protect each other. That’s kind of my understanding of it at this moment in time. 

Central Current: As Micron ramps up, how do you plan to monitor and ensure that Micron lives up to its lofty promises to protect Central New York’s bountiful natural life?

Meaker: The tool that the legislature has to ensure that is through infrastructure, and releasing funding for infrastructure as well. That’s our tool to protect the taxpayer. The legislature will use that when and as needed. 

Central Current: If ICE approaches Onondaga County and requests sensitive information to aid in what it says is a “criminal investigation” – and refuses to provide more details – should Onondaga County furnish sensitive data from a department like DSS to federal authorities with unclear motives?

Meaker: You know, that’s again, it’s out of my wheelhouse. Wheelhouse wasn’t the right word to use there. It’s out of my lane, fair? I don’t know what the exact policies and procedures are for the department. Again, if I was posed a question that we were going to make changes to policy and procedure, then I’m the type of legislator–as my colleagues are–that would absolutely do the research, read the policy, the reason for the change, and if there even is one–I don’t know. I don’t even know what the current policy is on that. Because I’m not in that law enforcement field. So again, I have to go ahead and say I would absolutely be open to listen to both sides and make a decision based on what evidence was put in front of me. 

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Laura Robertson is a staff reporter covering Onondaga County. Prior to joining Central Current, she lived on the edge of the Bering Strait in Nome, Alaska, where she worked as a reporter for a year. She...