Syracuse candidates for mayor came together at a forum at the City Hall Atrium on Friday to discuss sustainable environmental and economic policy. Democratic candidate and Common Councilor Khalid Bey, Mayor Ben Walsh and Republican candidate Janet Burman gave their policy ideas for an audience of dozens in person and over a hundred people online.

All three candidates agreed that sustainability is critical for a prosperous city. Walsh leaned on his achievements for environmental sustainability during his time as mayor when pitching his candidacy for reelection. 

Walsh mentioned Syracuse’s certification as a Clean Energy Community in 2018 and the city’s efforts to reduce power usage by installing LED lights in city infrastructure. The latter saves the city $1.5 million per year and reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 5,000 pounds per year, Walsh said. He also emphasized recent commitments to the city’s $2 million urban forest plan and to update the city’s 2040 sustainability plan.

Sustainability is more than just air and water quality, Bey said. He noted that sustainability policy must also combat environmental racism, like the health impact of the Interstate 81 viaduct. Bey also emphasized the importance of community-oriented redevelopment for the community grid plan which is slated to replace the interstate.

“I have a respiratory issue as a result of living in close proximity to the viaduct. I’m one of those children who grew up with the issue,” Bey said. “In other areas around the city, we’ve duplicated this problem. Anything that we can do to build neighborhoods and revitalize neighborhoods will ensure cleaner air.”

Walsh agreed that the community grid plan is necessary.

“There is no greater example of environmental racism in the city of Syracuse than the elevated viaduct of I-81,” Walsh said. 

Burman is the only candidate not to explicitly support tearing down the I-81 viaduct and replacing it with a community grid plan. Burman believes a new viaduct should be built to replace the current one, she told syracuse.com.

“It would be a mistake to say that we’re solving the problem of environmental racism by taking down the viaduct,” Burman said. “What’s going to happen after the viaduct is there will still be a very busy, highly traveled corridor there … We need to assist people in living somewhere other than right next to that continued high travel area that’s going to exist.”

Both Bey and Walsh advocated for Blueprint 15, a nonprofit which is creating an economic redevelopment plan for the I-81 viaduct which would construct mixed-income housing. The non-profit is named for the 15th Ward, which was largely destroyed when the viaduct was built.

“When the Blueprint 15 conversation first started, I texted the mayor and told him that there can’t be another 15th Ward. There can’t be another Harrison Street like 1839,” Bey said. In 1839, the Syracuse government ordered demolition of a Black neighborhood on Harrison Street which forced residents to move into the 15th Ward. “It’s all about attracting businesses which do not disrupt the community. Zoning is a key element to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Bey said.

Moderator Chris Bolt also asked candidates about specific programs they would implement as mayor in order to foster sustainable development in the city. 

Bey mentioned a municipal broadband program, which he discussed with Stephanie Miner, the former mayor of Syracuse. Municipal broadband is a city-owned internet service, providing internet access at lower cost than private carriers. Miner considered the idea, but no substantive progress was made. Walsh allocated $5 million towards a pilot program this summer, though Bey said he asked for $20 million from City Hall.

“Municipal broadband is one of the most attractive benefits we can make,” Bey said. “It’s something that would be obviously beneficial for every business and every household, especially considering the circumstances we just experienced in the pandemic with no guarantee that we won’t be back there again.”

Walsh wants to revamp the city’s waste collection system. The city set aside relief funds to buy trash and recycle cans for every resident in the city, and there are plans to retrofit hydraulic arms onto all city trash trucks in order to make collection easier. 

“One of the problems we have in Onondaga Lake is the number of floatables in the water, and that’s because the way we collect trash in the city is inherently unsustainable,” Walsh said. “That will make a significant difference, aesthetically, in our city environmentally and do a lot to increase quality of life.”

Published on October 9, 2021 at 1:18 pm

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