In the northern suburbs, voters will elect county legislators in the Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth and 14th legislative districts. Learn more about each candidate below. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 7. To determine your polling place, visit ongov.net/elections/index.html and click on “Polling Place Locator” or call the Onondaga County Board of Elections at (315) 435-8683.
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Fifth District (choose one):
Debra J. Cody (Republican incumbent appointee)
Biographical info:
Hello. My name is Debra Cody and I am the Fifth District Onondaga County Legislator, representing parts of the towns of Salina, Cicero and Dewitt. I was appointed by County Executive Joanne Mahoney in January 2017 to fill the vacancy left by the retirement of Legislator Kathy Rapp.
I moved to the Syracuse area from Albany in 1987 with my husband and three young children. My interest in history and politics drove me to enroll in evening classes at Columbia College at Hancock Field to earn my degree. My husband passed away suddenly in 1997, when my youngest child was 9 years old. I was blessed to have supportive friends who helped me through that time, and I was able to return to college and earn my BS in history and political science in 1999.
Involved in my church, overseas missions and the community as I raised my children, I volunteered on political campaigns and also worked in the non-profit sector. I have been on the staff of State Sen. John DeFrancisco since 2012, where I serve as constituent service director, with a focus on education and healthcare issues. This position gives me the opportunity to help constituents with a wide variety of issues, which I love to do, as well as interact with local elected officials, community leaders, and agency staff. I am on the Salina Republican Committee and am endorsed by the Onondaga County Republican, Independence, Conservative and Veteran’s Parties.
Why are you running for office?
Working on staff in a busy state legislative office has given me a new appreciation for public service and the impact that a legislator can have, in ways that most people don’t see. In addition to the public aspects of the job, there are tremendous opportunities to help people in very practical ways. I care about this community and the people living here and would like to continue to do what I can to advocate for them in any way I can.
Why are you the best candidate?
In addition to my job experience and my established relationships with key contacts at the state and county levels, my 10 months on the county legislature has been an invaluable experience. I am the Vice-Chair of the Facilities Committee and a member of the Environmental Protection Committee. My fellow legislators, the legislative staff and county officials have been generous with their time and expertise, as I learn how I can best serve the residents of the county and the constituents of my district.
What are the major issues facing the district and what will you do to address them?
We live in a high-tax state. We must keep county taxes as low as possible, while continuing to provide the outstanding services that county residents depend on. Support for our local businesses is imperative, to maintain and grow our tax base, as well as maintain jobs.
As a breast cancer survivor of 11 years, I fully understand the need for access to quality, affordable healthcare. I will continue to advocate for programs and services that support healthy families.
One of the concerns I hear most often from Salina and Cicero residents is the need to keep a north/south thoroughfare through Syracuse. Commuters, shoppers and visitors to the area depend on a direct, high-speed highway to get them where they are going in a timely manner. If we lost a north/south thoroughfare, local businesses located along 81 would suffer, potentially leading to business closures and job losses. Most importantly, the ability of emergency vehicles to get to the hospital quickly could be a matter of life and death. I will advocate for any form of a direct route through the city of Syracuse to benefit the best interests of my constituents.
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Bryan Seamans (Democratic challenger)
Biographical info:
I am 54 years old and have called Central New York home for all of them. I served in the United States Marine Corps in the early 1980,s then with the Sheriff department till the early 1990s. My wife Rita (Alessandro) and I were married on Sept. 22, 1990. We are blessed with three beautiful children Alessandra, 25, Alexander, 22, and Angela, 16, who is a special needs person. We have resided in our home in East Syracuse for 15 years, prior to that we were on the North Side of the city. I currently hold the position of commercial sales manager for Longley Dodge – Ram FCA. My political affiliation is the Democratic Party. I am also running on the Working Families Party.
Why are you running for office?
I am running for the open seat of Onondaga County Legislator District 5. I have been fortunate enough to have lived in this community for years and have been able to provide a decent living for my family, even though I have needed to change vocations more than once due to instability of our county. I feel it’s my responsibility to offer the same chance to others that was once available to me. I fully realize that we face greater challenges today than we did 10 years ago. Sadly some people have become distracted and we all live with the results of that. I want to bring a balance back to the county legislature and give our community the voice they deserve.
Why are you the best candidate?
Trust!
I will earn your trust every day. I have taken the oath to defend our country and the oath to protect our community. I am the only candidate who has had this type of service to others.
I am the working class. I have been on the second and third shifts, I have been laid off, I have had my job outsourced to another country, I have asked the question, “How did this happen here in Central New York?”
I have studied part-time and online at both Syracuse University and Columbia College. There is no other candidate who has this type of diversity or background. I will represent the entire community
What are the major issues facing the district, and what will you do to address them?
We face many challenges together. They are all equally important and need to be addressed collectively.
- The local economy — Attracting new business and industries should be one of the main goals. Boosting the local economy allows us to address many other issues.
- Law enforcement — We all need to be safe. Increasing our law enforcement agencies allows us to protect our community.
- Education — We need to invest in our children and their education. They are our future.
- Communication — Our local government needs to meet with the community. We need to have scheduled times and locations convenient and accessible to all who wish to attend.
- Accountable — Accountability to our community with access to our legislators within a reasonable time period.
- Term limits — Eight years.
