With a week to go until Election Day, and with early voting already underway, voters in the city of Syracuse got one more chance to hear from the three people hoping to be the city’s mayor in a debate with Spectrum News 1.
Incumbent Mayor Ben Walsh is running for re-election. He faces Democrat Khalid Bey and Republican Janet Burman.
- Watch the full debate in the video above
Many issues were discussed, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, quality of life in the city, marijuana legalization and education.
A heavy topic was safety and policing and the integrity of the Syracuse Police Department. Over the summer, officer Brandon Hanks filed a $33 million lawsuit against the city, alleging the department discriminates and retaliates against its Black members.
“How can we attract young people from within the city to pursue a police career when we have these allegations of racism within the department? I think it’s important that these be addressed as quickly as possible,” Burman, an economist, said of the Syracuse Police Department’s future.
Bey, a member of the Syracuse Common Council, said ensuring diversity within the department is a vital step that needs to be taken.
“Enforcing the existing federal measures to ensure not only do we diversify our department, but particularly diversify our supervisory positions with persons of color and women,” Bey said.
Mayor Walsh said diversifying the department has already been a priority, but added there was more work to do.
“Through [Syracuse Police Chief Kenton Buckner’s] leadership, we have a more diverse leadership in the Syracuse Police Department,” Walsh said. “We have been divested in reform and increasing discipline.”
Whoever wins the mayoral race will oversee city hall when the long-awaited Interstate 81 viaduct project may finally begin. That’s one topic where the differences in the candidates are key.
“One thing that I’ve mentioned over and over again, is that there should have already been an effort to reconfigure out traffic patterns in an effort to reduce oncoming congestion, specifically for side streets,” Bey said.
Burman is concerned about the speed of emergency services with such a change in traffic flow.
“All year, I’ve been calling for establishment of a fire station on the east side so that we have sufficient coverage and don’t have to rely on engines traveling from the west side to the east side,” Burman said.
“I have been a passionate advocate for the community grid option from the beginning,” Mayor Walsh said. “I have also acknowledged that it’s not a perfect plan. We have been focused on, first and foremost, centering our efforts around those that live within the shadow of the viaduct.”
Election Day is Nov. 2.
