Onondaga County Courthouse
The old Onondaga County court building is home to the county legislature. Credit: Mike Greenlar | Central Current

The Legislature’s Planning and Economic Development Committee is set to vote on replacing Brown with Democrat Dan Romeo on the board of the Land Bank Wednesday. If approved, the appointment and replacement would be voted on by one more committee and then the full legislature in early March.

Democratic Minority Leader Nodesia Hernandez said Tuesday she was trying to reach Legislature Chair Tim Burtis, a Republican, and Romeo to prevent the item from making it on to a vote Wednesday. She told Central Current she strongly supported keeping Brown on the Land Bank board and that she would advise Romeo to not take the appointment. 

“I would ask him respectfully not to take the appointment,” Hernandez said. 

Brown told Central Current on Monday he did not know of Burtis’ move to replace him until the agenda for the committee meeting was released last week. Brown added he has not heard Burtis’ reasoning. 

Maurice Brown, Onondaga County Legislator Credit: Courtesy of Maurice "Mo" Brown

“But I have a pretty good idea why,” Brown said. He said he thinks there is a proposal to dismiss him from the Land Bank board because of his staunch opposition against the approximately $100 million Onondaga County Aquarium. 

“It has to do with my aquarium opposition,” Brown said. 

Brown, who represents the 15th Legislative District, has been against the county’s plan since its inception, even before he was elected to the Legislature in 2023. He recently submitted a letter to the editor to The Post-Standard | Syracuse.com calling on other legislators to request a study on the project.

“I sent the letter to the editor to the Post-Standard, suggesting that we not rush into a bad decision,” he said.

Romeo, who represents the seventh Legislative District, told Central Current he was approached by Burtis last fall about his interest in being on the Land Bank board. Then, he found out about his appointment at the same time Brown found out about his replacement. 

“When he had asked me, I said that I would welcome the appointment,” Romeo said. 

Burtis has not responded to a request for comment from Central Current. Brown and Romeo said they also have not heard Burtis’ rationale. 

“That is not a conversation that I would start because it’s his appointment,” Romeo said. “I didn’t get involved in whatever, whoever he was replacing, and the why, and all of that.”

Romeo said he doesn’t think of his move to accept the appointment as replacing Brown.

“If there are reasons that [Burtis] and Mo need to have that discussion, then I welcome that. If either one of them thinks I need to be a part of that discussion, then I welcome that,” Romeo said. “But ultimately it’s an appointment for the chairman to make.”

Republican Kevin Meaker, the vice chair of the Planning and Economic Development Committee said he was aware of the move, supported Chairman Burtis’ decision, and that he had no comment on why Brown was being replaced.

“I think Mr. Romeo will do a fine job,” Meaker said. 

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Eddie Velazquez is a Syracuse journalist covering economic justice in the region. He is focused on stories about organized labor, and New York's housing and childhood lead poisoning crises. You can follow...