March 2021 Session Update

March 2021 will go down as a landmark Legislative Session in Onondaga County. The Legislature voted to bring an end to a 30 year Amended Consent Judgment. The ACJ was the result of a lawsuit filed in the late 1980s and led to the revitalization of Onondaga Lake. Our lake hasn’t been this clean in a generation, and the combined sewer overflows have decreased from several each month to a handful or less annually thanks to the private and public investments in our water treatment systems. This resolution will save County taxpayers dramatically in the years to come and marks the end of an expensive, but much necessary, era in Onondaga County’s history.

This month in Special Session we voted on Public Safety Reforms for our County Sheriff’s Department. The District Attorney, in concert with a group of community, social, and governmental leaders in our area, has developed a comprehensive package of reforms that will bring additional training for Sheriff’s Deputies, building on the work Sheriff Conway and his team have been implementing for years. We are proud of the package and know that our police force will be better for it. Our commitment to funding and fortifying law enforcement remains strong and we are enthusiastic about the progress on the horizon.

Legislator Jim Rowley has served as County Legislator for the 2 nd Legislative District since 2018 and has been an active member of the Clay community for years. He serves on the Ways & Means Committee where he brings his vast financial knowledge to bear on issues and projects coming to our County. Among the most notable economic development projects in recent years is the 3.8 million square foot Amazon facility in Clay. Amazon has begun hiring for this facility and will continue to do so as staffing needs grow to its full capacity of nearly 1,000 jobs. We are excited about this opportunity for Liverpool residents to see the local economy grow, and for all who will be working at this Amazon facility!