For most city voters, choices for the Syracuse Common Council in the 2013 fall election are limited so far.
All five Common Council districts are up for election on Nov. 5. In addition, voters will choose two Councilors-at-Large and the council’s president.
As of March 25, the races for district councilors are shaping up like this: Incumbent Jake Barrett, D-District 1, faces two Republicans – David Gay and Joseph Carni. Pat Hogan, D-District 2 has fulfilled his maximum term limit and cannot seek re-election. Two Democrats – Steve Thompson and Chad Ryan – have expressed interest in the seat, as well as Republican Alex Walsh. The Democratic and Republican parties will both have to hold primaries in September if candidates for the same offices do not drop out before then.
In the other three districts the incumbents are all running unopposed. The incumbents are Bob Dougherty, D-District 3; Khalid Bey, D-District 4; and Nader Maroun, D-District 5.
The Common Council is the primary law and policy-making body of the city government. This is the group that will be passing legislation for city residents and handling policy for everything from education, to public safety, to budget decisions.
The salary for a Common Councilor is $21,224 per year.
In the city, Democrats have a large advantage in the number of enrolled voters. Of the total 70,696 enrolled voters, 54 percent — or 38,7999 people– are registered as Democrats and 16 percent– or 11,362 people — are registered as Republicans.
As of March 25, here’s an early look at the potential candidates for the Common Council:
District 1
District 1 includes the North Side.
Jake Barrett (incumbent, Democrat)
Jake Barrett, 63, of 238 Brattle Rd., was elected to his first term in 2011, after beating Republican incumbent Matt Rayo by 13 votes. Barrett is the facilities manager for Catholic Charities of Onondaga County and alternative fuels manager of Suez-Trigen Energy Corp. He is the chairperson of the Public Safety Committee for the Common Council.
One of his favorite accomplishments from his first term, he said, was to change the district from a “food desert” without a grocery store when Wegman’s closed. He helped another grocery store open in the area, he said, and has tried to keep revenue up by hosting meetings at the store and asking doctors to encourage patients to go there.
David Gay (challenger, Republican)
Gay, 31, of 112 Rosewood St., is seeking the GOP designation as a candidate in District 1. He is a Spanish- speaking medical interpreter and can also speak Vietnamese and Italian. He is married to a political refugee from Cuba. That, he said, makes him a good candidate for a district that has a lot of refugees.
The district needs someone people can relate to, he said. “What we need is someone with energy, and someone who is connected to the community,” Gay said.
Joseph Carni (challenger, Republican)
Carni, 22, of 135 Hampton Road, is the third candidate seeking the council seat. This is the same seat that his father, Supreme Court Justice Edward Carni, held from 1990-1995. Joseph Carni announced his candidacy on March 22. He is a financial advisor at AXA Equitable. Joseph Carni told The Post-Standard that he knows the job isn’t glamorous and promised to be focused on constituent service.
District 2
District 2 includes the West Side and Lakefront neighborhoods. The seat is open because incumbent Pat Hogan has served the maximum eight years.
Alex Walsh (Republican)
Walsh, 24, of 604 Tompkins St., is an legislative aide to State Sen. John DeFransico, R-Syracuse. Walsh also works as an ice hockey referee for levels ranging for youth to college Division 1.
He says the fiscal and public safety issues are the most important in the city because of the way Mayor Miner discusses the city heading toward bankruptcy, “And it’s just been astonishing to watch more and more gun violence and other instances in the city that I’d like to try and resolve,” said Walsh.
Chad Ryan (Democrat)
Chad Ryan, 27, of 324 Coleridge Ave., is the funeral director at Edward J. Ryan and Son funeral home in Syracuse. Chad Ryan has grown up around local politics. He is the son of Ed Ryan, a former Onondaga County legislator and former Democratic commissioner for the county board of elections.
He also sees public safety as a major issue and wants people to cooperate with the police. “What everyone has to do is be vigilant and be aware, and help the police do their jobs,” said Ryan. “The only way to really help them is call them if you see something strange, call them if something doesn’t look right.”
Steve Thompson (Democrat)
Steve Thompson, 64, of 564 Bryant St., is a former Syracuse police chief. He retired in 2005, ending a 35- year police career, after being charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. He has been sober for eight years and is ready to get back into public service, he said in an interview.
Thompson cites his close to 35 years in a public service position as a police officer as a benefit to the Common Council. “I had a good working relationship and continue a person relationship with many of the department heads,” Thompson said. “So that I have access to them to get my point across.”
District 3
District 3 includes the South Side and the Valley.
Bob Dougherty (incumbent, Democrat)
Bob Dougherty, of 120 Edna Rd., is running unopposed for a second term. He is a retired probation officer and chairperson of the Parks, Recreation and Youth Program Committee. He was both a member and a member and facilitator of the Valley’s Tomorrow Neighborhoods Today, a group that helps residents, businesses and organizations in planning for the neighborhoods. He was elected to the Common Council in 2011.
District 4
District 4 includes downtown Syracuse and parts of the South and East Side.
Khalid Bey (incumbent, Democrat)
Khalid Bey, of 217 West Kennedy St., is running unopposed for a second term. He manages a small business, the Atlantean Group, a company that tries to encourage private investment in low-income communities. He is serving as the chairperson the Economic Development, Downtown and Metropolitan Planning Committee. He was elected in 2011.
District 5
District 5 includes the Eastwood neighborhood and the East Side.
Nader Maroun (incumbent, Democrat)
Nader Maroun, of 1702 Euclid Ave., works in corporate relations for Bart-Enterprises Inc. He is the chairperson of the Education and Human Development Committee. He is running for his third term in the Common Council. He also served on the Common Council from 1987-1989.
(Samantha Sonner is a junior majoring in broadcast and digital journalism.)
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