Jeremiah Thompson is running to represent District 4 in the Onondaga County Legislature. He is currently a freshman legislator, having flipped his seat in 2025. His challenger is Leslie English, a Republican. Thompson is running on the Democratic and Working Families Party lines. 

Central Current sent Thompson 11 questions about housing, immigration, data centers, agriculture, and more. Here are his responses. 

Central Current: With Micron moving in, politicians from every part of the political spectrum have emphasized the importance of building more housing. What is your vision for increasing housing in Onondaga County, and what role (if any) should the county play in doing so?

Jeremiah Thompson: The legislature has worked to articulate a vision of increasing housing supply in a way that addresses the “missing middle” and prioritizes affordability. We need diverse, efficient, and affordable housing to meet the diverse needs of future populations and workforces. Beyond building, we want to emphasize revitalization, and that means working to ensure our communities are safe, walkable, connected, and complete. Our vision preserves and builds upon all that makes this region—from people and neighborhood distinctiveness to proximity to natural spaces—special.

The role we play in this process is one of facilitator, planner, and investor. Home Rule means that we’re not going to impose a vision on local municipalities, but we can help bring parties together to have the necessary conversations. We can make model zoning a possibility, and we can, as we have done with ON HOME, provide funding to spur growth and development of new housing opportunities.

CC: Transparency has been a major talking point in the legislature this year – from donor transparency around the aquarium to concerns that each caucus brings things to the floor without giving the other advance notice. Where would you like to see more transparency in county government, and what can the legislature do to enforce it?

JT: I would contend that transparency is not just a talking point with the legislature; it has been a guiding principal in how we’ve conducted business this year. As the question notes, one of our early pieces of legislation was designed to shine light on the donation process. We’ve also held multiple public hearings, improved access to committee meetings through livestreaming and an emphasis on accessibility, and through direct and consistent communication with the public and the media.

CC: As we move forward, I see opportunities to demystify some of the processes of county government.

JT: As thousands of Onondaga County refugees and residents lose their access to SNAP benefits, what should the county’s role be in ensuring access to food? Although the county cannot backfill the federally funded SNAP program, we have worked with the county executive to lend support to build out the capacity of food pantries and help to support New American populations that are acutely affected by such cuts.

Further, by supporting and working with local farmers, we can address food insecurity by helping to close the gaps between our residents and the food grown locally across the region.

CC: Roughly one-third of Onondaga County’s land is used for agriculture. What, if anything, can the county do to support farmers, farmworkers, and other people involved in agriculture in the county?

JT: In this year’s budget, we doubled the funding going to the Ag Council in order to support local farm initiatives and fight food insecurity. We also passed a memorializing resolution to support the Good Food Bill, which would further support local farmers by featuring more of their produce in our school cafeterias.

Additionally, we can support farmers by exploring alternative, green energy sources for electricity generation. There isn’t a “one-size fits all” approach to energy for our farms, so we should support wind, solar, and other forms of energy generation where it fits. Solar and agriculture do not need to be at odds if we have sensible protections for farmland, and if we work with the farmers to find what best suits their needs.

CC: As Micron prepares to move into Onondaga County, some county residents have raised concerns about PFAS and other emissions. How do you plan to mitigate the environmental concerns of county residents?

JT: On the Environmental Protection Committee, we have had conversations with the DEC, the EPA, and with OCWA about what limits, protections, and remediation strategies we have to address PFAS. We have to continue to create opportunities for the public to voice their concerns, and we have a responsibility to amplify those messages and direct them to responsible parties. It’s essential to build an open and robust conversation with authorities committed to detection and enforcement.

CC: Could the county be doing anything more to mitigate and combat its lead problem? If so, what?

JT: Onondaga County needs to continue and build on existing relationships with the federal government, New York State, and the City of Syracuse. We should push for greater public health education around lead exposure and related symptoms.

CC: Over the last two years, USCIS has rolled back protected status for many groups of immigrants and has begun to target people for detainment who might not have been targeted in the past (i.e.: asylum seekers). Do you believe the county needs to do anything more to protect its large immigrant and refugee populations? If so, what?

JT: Encouragingly, our County Sheriff, an elected official, has indicated that he does not coordinate with ICE on immigration enforcement.

While we cannot supersede federal law enforcement, we can continue to speak out against ICE’s policies and practices, and we can affirm that Onondaga County is a community that welcomes and celebrates refugees and New Americans.

CC: What – if any – role should AI have in county operations? Should the county develop rules and policies to regulate its use?

JT: The county is in the process of developing rules to regulate the use of AI. AI can be helpful with tasks like automating workflows, analyzing large data sets, and identifying efficiencies. It should not be used in generative areas like communication or policy development.

CC: County Executive Ryan McMahon has announced a plan to study the feasibility and potential impacts of building a data center in Onondaga County. What would be the ideal outcome of that study? Depending on the outcome, how do you plan to respond?

JT: The County Legislature should be included in a thorough review of all of the findings from such a report. An ideal outcome would demonstrate that data centers could operate without placing a burden on rate payers or damaging the natural environment. Without those two outcomes at a minimum, it would be difficult to support development of data centers in this region.

CC: Syracuse consistently has one of the highest rates of childhood poverty in the nation. Do you believe the county should be doing anything more than it is currently to address childhood poverty? If so, what?

JT: To begin with, it’s important to note that poverty is a complex social phenomenon marked by multiple concerns beyond the strictly economic. Additionally, it’s not exclusive to the City of Syracuse, in two of the major school districts in OCL 4, 45-60% of students are eligible for free or reduced lunch. Food insecurity is a metric of poverty, and we are seeking to address this by strengthening food systems throughout the region.

CC: What county issues and concerns have an outsize impact in your district specifically? How do you plan to address those concerns and bring them to the forefront of the legislative agenda?

JT: When I talk to residents and representatives in my district, some of the most common concerns I hear relate to parks, roads, and safety. Safety is perhaps the one area where we can most directly impact residents’ lives. By ensuring that our county budget adequately funds the Sheriff’s Department, we can reduce response times and lend support to local authorities.

While town and village parks and roads are outside of our direct control, we can advocate for Main Street Grants, Community Development, and other means to help advocate for the betterment of our neighborhoods.

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Chris Libonati is the managing editor of Central Current. He is a founding editorial member of the organization and was hired as Central Current's first reporter. He previously worked at the Syracuse Post-Standard...