Four candidates remain in the race for mayor of Syracuse, and everyone has different takes on how best to handle problems the city faces.

Syracuse has one of the highest concentrations of poverty among black and Hispanic people in the United States and some of the lowest test scores and graduation rates in the state. Residents also witnessed the deadliest year in city history last year after 31 people were killed, and officials must address a crumbling interstate  that divides Syracuse.

Democrat Juanita Perez Williams, independent Ben Walsh, Republican Laura Lavine and Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins have made their positions clear at more than 10 debates and forums over the last few months.

Here is a breakdown of the mayoral candidates’ stances on major issues facing the city of Syracuse:

Interstate 81

Juanita Perez Williams

Perez Williams said she supports the community grid option, like most of the other candidates. The community grid would destroy the raised viaduct that splits the city and redirect highway traffic to Interstate 481. Perez Williams has said the viaduct’s original construction contributed to the high concentration of poverty in the city.

Ben Walsh

Walsh frequently expressed support for the community grid option. In early October, he held a rally off Almond Street, calling on the New York State Department of Transportation to release an independent consultant’s report on a contentious tunnel replacement option.

Laura Lavine

Lavine has yet to take a clear stance on the crumbling infrastructure, saying she is waiting for the tunnel report before making a decision on what she supports.

Howie Hawkins

Hawkins supports the community grid option, which he said would support more mixed-use and mixed-income construction.

Crime

Perez Williams

Perez Williams has called for the hiring of more police officers and the establishment of job training programs for city youth to combat high crime rates.

Ben Walsh

Walsh pushed for more community policing and said he would hire more police officers to fill open positions at the understaffed Syracuse Police Department.

Laura Lavine

Lavine also supported community policing policies, similar to Walsh, and supports hiring more police officers to fill SPD vacancies. Lavine said she wants jobs that can be performed by civilians to be done by civilians, following an evaluation of the department.

Howie Hawkins

Hawkins has linked crime to concentrated poverty and poorly performing schools. On the campaign trail, he also promoted community policing and youth outreach programs to bolster employment opportunities.

Schools

Juanita Perez Williams

The Democratic candidate said the Syracuse City School District must improve graduation rates and find cost-effective ways to transport students to and from school. The city spends more than $20 million a year on transportation.

Ben Walsh

Walsh, with one child enrolled in the SCSD, said he believes the district is already going in the right direction, and he would work with the district to continue in that direction.

Laura Lavine

Lavine, a former superintendent of the LaFayette Central School District, said she wants mayoral control over the SCSD. The move would eliminate elections for the school board and allow Lavine to appoint board members with the help of the Common Council. Lavine was denied an interview with the local teachers union for a possible endorsement.

Howie Hawkins

Hawkins called for desegregation of the school district and consolidation with neighboring suburban school districts.

Poverty

Juanita Perez Williams

Perez Williams has said alleviating poverty would be her main priority if elected. She said she would support affordable housing initiatives and create job training programs to employ city residents.

Ben Walsh

As a former city official who oversaw the Syracuse Industrial Development Agency, Walsh said he would use economic development to combat poverty.

Laura Lavine

Lavine, focusing on education policy, said improved school districts and graduation rates would help prevent crime and reduce the city’s high rate of poverty.

Howie Hawkins

Hawkins proposed a “Marshall Plan,” which includes a public jobs program funded by New York state, to address poverty. Similar to Walsh, he also said he would encourage mixed-use and mixed-income development in the city.

City-county merger

Juanita Perez Williams

The Democratic candidate said she is against the city-county merger, like all other candidates, because it would undermine Syracuse residents. She added that the move would put residents in debt.

Ben Walsh

Walsh supported some cost-saving measures but said he was against consolidating the Syracuse and Onondaga County governments into one legislative body.

Laura Lavine

The Republican said she does not support the merger because it ignored SCSD concerns.

Howie Hawkins

The Green Party candidate also opposes the merger, claiming it will take power from city residents and concentrate segregation in schools and public housing. He has said he supports some consolidation across municipalities, though.

Published on November 6, 2017 at 11:19 pm

Contact Kennedy: krose100@syr.edu | @KennedyRose001