Jo Bennett is running to represent the Onondaga County Legislature's 15th District. They face Bill Kinne in the Democratic primary for the seat. Credit: Courtesy of Jo Bennett

Jo Bennett is running as a Democrat to represent the 15th District in the Onondaga County Legislature. Bennett is an educator in the Syracuse City School District as well as a local union and community organizer. 

They are facing Bill Kinne, a former Onondaga County legislator who worked in the legislature for 24 years, in June’s Democratic primary. You can read more about Kinne here. 

Bennett has been endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America and is running on the “affordability slate” — a group of three candidates that includes Bennett, legislature candidate Tammy Honeywell and state assembly candidate Maurice “Mo” Brown. 

Brown currently represents the 15th District but is running for a seat in the state assembly and will vacate the seat at the end of his term.

Editor’s note: Central Current accepted responses to its question-and-answer series in written form. When Central Current informed Bennett — as it did all candidates — that it would use various artificial intelligence detectors to examine candidates’ answers, Bennett admitted they had used AI for their initial responses. The responses below were written by Bennett, they said.   

Central Current: As a legislator, how do you plan to make housing more affordable in Onondaga County? 

Jo Bennett: As a legislator, I hope to make housing more affordable through a few different ways. To start, we need to protect tenants by looking into incentivizing municipalities to adopt Good Cause legislation and ramp up code enforcement. Good Cause keeps renters in their homes by requiring a reason for eviction and a reason for non-renewal of leases. This ensures there is stability in the community.

I’d also like to look at how we tax properties. I would push to implement a luxury housing tax for developers building luxury homes and redirect that money into affordable housing. I would also like to make sure that when the Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency (OCIDA) gives tax breaks and makes payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) agreements, that there are required investments into affordable housing. 

CC: What’s one thing the county could do that it isn’t currently doing to prepare Central New York for Micron’s arrival? 

Bennett: We must rapidly expand our public transportation system to make sure that the community can get to jobs at Micron and other industrial hubs. We must ensure busing is free and fast, which is not the current reality. We also must ensure there the school to jobs pipeline for residents continues. Micron should be helping in building up the local workforce. 

CC: The Democratic caucus has set transparency as one of its top priorities. In your capacity as a legislator, what is one way you’d like to make the county more transparent? 

Bennett: I’d like for us to push for meetings that take place after work hours so that working class people can come to public forums and make their voice heard. It’s also important that all large financial decisions be open for public comment. For example, I do not agree that public funds should have been used for the aquarium when we have a housing and healthcare crisis in Onondaga County. Public funds should be used for the public good, not for political projects. 

CC: The Democratic caucus has a majority for the first time in decades. Do you think the majority has done enough with the power it has? Why or why not?

Bennett: In their short time in power, the Democratic caucus has overhauled the OCIDA board to get more of the community’s voice when it comes to economic development and investments in our county. They have also put forth the Good Governance Slate, which allows voters to vote for term limits for the County Executive and places vacancy appointments in the hands of the legislature when a legislator leaves office. 

I commend the Democratic caucus for making those important steps. However we must also work to make it truly affordable to everyday working people. For example, expanding childcare services in the coming budget, as well my other priorities of safe and affordable housing and fast and free buses. 

CC: In local public hearings, constituents have raised concerns about the environmental impacts of Micron and wastewater treatment. Do you believe the county has done enough to protect our water resources? If not, what’s one specific thing you would change? 

Bennett: No, I do not think that the county has done enough to protect our water resources. Micron should be held to a written binding Community Benefits Agreement that they will take care of any environmental impacts with terms set by environmental scientists. This agreement should be enforceable and should be stewarded by the public. It is also very important that the Onondaga Nation is part of these discussions to the extent that they want to be.

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Leila Adelstein is a newsroom intern reporting on local news and writing features for the Central Current. She will be a junior at Hamilton College in the fall where she studies Public Policy and Studio...