April Update

It is remarkable how far we’ve come in just a year. In April 2020, the Legislature was freeing up funding to ensure 24/7 attention for those dealing with the early effects of COVID-19 in our community. Businesses were shutting down and people were learning to isolate and mask up. This April, our legislators are back to in-person session and making legislative moves as we are rebuilding our economy post-COVID. We are excited, as a body of legislators, to continue doing the hard work to maintain world-class services while keeping up a streamlined government locally. 

In the April Legislative Session, our Republican members took up important items that make an immediate difference for County residents. Most important of these was a resolution to rescind the residential energy tax that was temporarily applied in June of last year. As soon as our leaders learned of the strong financial standing Onondaga County was going to have and the federal stimulus funds coming our way, we began drafting a resolution to rescind the tax. It is important that we keep the cost of living in Onondaga County low and maintain the same high levels of service to every resident. 

This month, in Health & Human Services, Legislator Julie Abbott-Kenan hosted Health Commissioner Dr. Indu Gupta for an update on vaccinations in Onondaga County. We are pleased to know that nearly half of our adult population is vaccinated, and with the recent eligibility expansions, many more will be soon! Dr. Gupta also shared about the growing number of schools returning to in-person learning with updated distancing guidance. Students belong in classrooms and the structure a regular school day brings has a marked impact on their learning and mental health.