Blake Carter is challenging current 6th district Legislator Julie Abbott. Carter is running on the Democratic Party line.
Carter worked in retail for about 10 years before earning his bachelor’s degree in economics and political science in 2020.
Since then, Carter has worked on Democratic campaigns, including that of New York State Sen. Rachel May.
He has lived in Onondaga County’s western suburbs for more than 30 years.
“There are projects that are happening and the decisions that are made in the next couple of years are going to shape what Onondaga County is going to look like for decades going forward” Carter said.
Do you think Deputy John Rosello acted properly by shooting and killing two teens, why/why not? Does the sheriff’s office have enough accountability mechanisms in place, what would you change in this regard?
I don’t want to pass judgment on the deputy or the Sheriff’s office until the investigations are fully complete. It would not be fair to all those involved. The Legislature can look into options at that point. As a legislator I would support and fund Sheriff’ Shelley’s plan to implement a body cam system as soon as possible and update the respective policy.
Should Jamesville be closed, and what changes should be made at the downtown jail?
We should wait to close or modify facilities until Sheriff Toby Shelley and the State has had time to complete the assessment that he asked for. The people elected Sheriff Shelley and we need to allow him to do that job.
Does Onondaga County have enough housing? How will you propose to build more?
Onondaga County did not have enough housing before Micron and soon will have a greater need with their expansions. Onondaga County can subsidize and/or create incentive programs to support the construction of housing all across the county.
How can the county facilitate better public transportation inside/outside of the city?
Investing more into mass transit like Centro. We need more stops from inside the city that provide access to the needs of the community, like employment, education and goods & services across the county.
What more can the county do to fight Syracuse’s lead crisis?
Allocate more funding into remediation programs and identify safe housing while remediation is being done… $3 Million is not enough. We need to do better for our kids, who are the future of our region.
What topic would receive more attention if you were elected?
Mental health as a preventative medical care. While mental health emergency services are a crucial service, at that point we have missed many opportunities to help someone. I want to work with federal, state and local governments along with mental health professionals to create a better plan to fight mental health illness before it gets to someone needing emergency services.