By Sarah Hall
Editor
Onondaga County Legislator Kathy Rapp will resign effective Dec. 31.
Rapp, who represents the Fifth District, filed the paperwork for her resignation with the Onondaga County Clerk’s Office Friday, Oct. 14. The Fifth District covers portions of the towns of Salina, DeWitt and Cicero.
Rapp said she had already decided not to run for reelection in 2017, but was prompted to retire before the end of her term by the county’s early retirement incentive package as well as personal considerations.
“I just had a new grandson. I’ve got another one coming probably tomorrow,” she said Friday. “My husband has been retired for a couple of years now. I’ve been in public service for 25 years. The time is right.”
Rapp, a Republican, served on the Salina Town Board for seven years before being appointed to the Onondaga County Legislature in 1998. She has been reelected every term since, including 2015, when she defeated Democratic challenger Bryan Seamans by a margin of 2,489 to 1,148.
While on the legislature, Rapp has served on every legislative committee, including serving as chair of the Planning and Economic Development Committee since 2002, where she said she achieved the most noteworthy accomplishments.
“Looking back to 2002, when I was appointed as chair of the Economic Development Committee, I made a list of things I wanted to get accomplished. Now, 14 years later, we’ve hit every one of them,” Rapp said. “Hancock Field, there was nothing there. Now there are 300 jobs there… The Convention Center Hotel—I thought that would be the easy one. Hotel Syracuse has finally come [to fruition]. The redevelopment of Carrier, which is now Carrier Field. The Airport Authority. I was looking back and realizing that every one of those things got accomplished, so I decided I guess it’s time.”
In addition to the legislature, Rapp has also served as president of the Regional Planning board, chair of the Syracuse Metropolitan Transportation Council, a member of the Save 81 Campaign and on the boards of numerous local organizations. She and her husband Bill owned ACLS, Inc., a mailing, marketing and communications firm in Liverpool. The two have three grown children.
Now that she’s stepping down, Rapp said she hopes her constituents remember her as a good legislator.
“I hope they see me as a faithful and honest representative who took care of the people of this district,” she said.
But after 25 years of public service, she’s ready to enjoy the benefits of retirement.
“Especially my new grandchildren,” she said. “I’m most excited about that.”
There is no word yet on who might be appointed to complete her term.
