District area: District 5 covers parts of the Town of Vestal.
Term: Two-year term
Each candidate was asked to limit answers to 100 to 150 words. WSKG cut answers at the 150 mark. If you would like more details about a candidate’s answer to a question, their contact information and/or website is provided in this Voter Guide.
Candidate: Daniel Reynolds
Incumbent - First elected in 2010
Party affiliation: Republican, Conservative
WSKG Q&A
The county has hired consultants to develop a strategy for shifting from using hotels to a shelter for homeless residents. Shelters are a temporary remedy. Should the county legislature be working to move people from temporary to permanent housing? If yes, what should the legislature do? If no, why not?
I believe the County’s goal should always be to help people move from temporary shelter into stable, permanent housing. At the same time, the we must also recognize the limits of county government. New York’s Social Services Law places the administration of public assistance on the local government, while state and federal programs provide much of the funding and establish many of the requirements. State
law also specifically contemplates temporary shelter providers assisting people in obtaining permanent housing.
The Legislature, through the budget and resolution process, works with the Administration to make sure resources are being used responsibly. The County also works with municipalities, nonprofits and housing providers when additional housing is needed. But permanent housing ultimately depends heavily on local land-use decisions and state and federal housing programs. The County should help coordinate where appropriate without attempting to take over responsibilities assigned to other levels of government.
Besides homelessness, county residents are also coping with a broader housing crisis. Rents have risen significantly and according to New York state’s Homes and Community Renewal, home prices in the state have risen 50-80 percent in the past 11 years. Should more Broome County municipalities become “pro housing communities” to be eligible for state funding meant to address the housing shortage?
The Pro-Housing Communities program is specifically structured around decisions by cities, towns and villages. New York’s Town Law gives town governments substantial authority over comprehensive planning, zoning and land-use regulation, and similar authority exists for cities and villages. The state’s Pro-Housing program likewise requires the municipality itself to pursue certification. The County does not have zoning or code enforcement functions; those reside at the local municipal level.
Municipalities should evaluate whether becoming a Pro-Housing Community makes sense for its residents, considering its infrastructure, existing zoning rules, housing needs and ability to support additional development. The County can provide coordination, information and assistance where appropriate, particularly on infrastructure and regional planning. However, I would be reluctant for the County to dictate land-use policy to towns, villages or the City of Binghamton. Those decisions are intentionally vested primarily at the municipal level, and local residents should have a meaningful role in making…[WSKG Note: Candidate answer exceeded the 150 word limit]
New York counties are set to absorb a total of $168 million in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) administrative costs a year due to federal funding changes to the program. Should the state play a greater role in supporting this program at the county level?
SNAP is a good example of why we need to be careful about assigning responsibility to the wrong level of government. SNAP is fundamentally a federal program, with administration involving both New York State and local social services districts. Recent federal changes reduce the federal share of SNAP administrative costs, while New York law places the state’s share of certain social-services costs on counties. The resulting additional cost to New York counties has been estimated at approximately $168 million annually statewide.
Rather than simply asking counties to absorb another unfunded mandate, I believe the appropriate discussion is between the federal and state governments about how the program is funded and administered. Broome County should continue administering the program as required by law and advocating for adequate resources, but the County does not control federal SNAP policy or the state’s cost-allocation formula. Those decisions ultimately rest at higher levels of government.
A recent state regulatory audit raised serious concerns about the fiscal management of the county’s Industrial Development Agency (IDA). The legislature appoints the IDA board but has no authority over the agency board or leadership. Do you think that should change?
The report regarding the Broome IDA deserves careful attention, and we all want transparency and accountability, but the legal structure is important. The IDA is a separate public benefit corporation created under NYS General Municipal Law. State law specifically provides that IDA members are appointed locally, but the agency itself possesses independent corporate powers, including authority over its officers, employees and operations. They are governed by the NY State Authorities Budget Office (ABO), created as an independent office pursuant to Chapter 506 of the Laws of 2009.
That distinction is important. The IDA is not a county department. If questions exist about operations, or adherence to state law, then the ABO would be the appropriate entity to review any claims. Duplicating this responsibility beyond what state law provides would need to be granted by state law and would likely cause confusion regarding the oversight of the local state agency.
What, if anything, do you think the county could do to make the legislature’s work more accessible and transparent to the public? Do you think all of the legislature’s meetings (including committees) should be recorded and made public?
Every session of the County Legislature is open to the public and streamed on Zoom. All Session documents, agendas, budgets, and resolutions are available online for the public. The Legislative meetings are recorded, and the audio files are available through the Freedom of Information request. The committee meetings and the more than 40 annual budget meetings are also open to the public and streamed on Zoom. The County attempted to maintain video files online and ran into technical challenges with the County’s website architecture and available space. The Legislative Chamber’s physical configuration, lighting and dated technology present challenges as well. However, we will continue to look for ways to improve access to information for the public.
Much of New York is considered a childcare desert. Should the county legislature be taking action to address access to care for Broome County families?
Access to reliable childcare is important to working families and to the regional economy. However, childcare is an area where responsibilities are shared among federal, state, county and private providers. New York State establishes much of the regulatory and funding framework, while local social services districts administer certain assistance programs. State law also permits local public welfare officials to provide publicly funded childcare for eligible families when funding is available. NY State has recently designated Broome County as part of a pilot program that will improve childcare access for children 0-3, making it largely free for most families, while also standardizing the kind of care available. The County is also working to bring 200 additional childcare spots online with the creation of a daycare at the Oakdale Commons in partnership with the state. Municipalities like Broome need to remain engaged on this issue, and where they have the appropriate ability and resources, they should remain active partners in addressing the access to reliable childcare.
The state’s new Local Cops, Local Crime Act includes a ban on local law enforcement agencies having certain official partnerships with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)? Do you agree with this? Why or why not?
As a County Legislator, my responsibility is to follow the law and ensure that County departments operate within their legal authority. The County should continue cooperating with federal and state law enforcement when required or permitted by law, particularly regarding criminal investigations and court orders.
A recent report from the Office of the New York State Comptroller found a rise in the number of municipalities across the state that have proposed to override the state’s property tax cap. With counties facing funding cuts and rising costs, would you be open to overriding the tax cap in Broome County?
Broome County will cut property taxes for an 8th consecutive year in the 2027 budget. Additionally, we have also provided a record amount of sales tax revenue to our local partner municipalities to help them offset rising expenses. We have worked together in a bipartisan balanced effort to control cost, build stability and retire debt in Broome County.
The legislature regularly gets reports from the county executive and they are available to the public. Do you think the legislature should get regular reports from some other departments as well? (e.g. Department of Social Services, sheriff’s office, district attorney, etc.) If so, why and how often should they get reports? If not, why not?
The County gets annual reports from numerous departments and programs, and they are available online at https://broomecountyny.gov. Additionally, the Legislature authored the Daylight Legislation to ensure that the Legislature and the public had access to reliable financial information on Broome County government operations.
The department heads are routinely at the monthly Legislative Committee meetings where they provide updates and detailed information regarding programs and initiatives that are underway at various County departments. Additionally, each department has annual budget meeting where they will review with the Legislature the current year and the department’s objectives and financial plan for the upcoming year.
Some municipalities have citizen boards for better law enforcement accountability. They do not have any disciplinary authority but they can receive and monitor citizen complaints and review internal investigations. Do you think Broome County should have some form of citizen law enforcement board? Why or why not?
Broome County does not currently have a citizen law enforcement board and New York State already has a method for dealing with individual concerns regarding law enforcement. The New York State Attorney General (OAG), deals with complaints regarding local law enforcement officers, state police, and correctional facilities through the OAG Law Enforcement Complaint Portal. Additionally, most law enforcement agencies actively ask for feedback including complaints and my experience is that most law enforcement professionals are dedicated public servants that care about our community and the safety of its residents.
Candidate: Scott Wager
Party affiliation: Democratic, Working Families
WSKG Q&A
Scott Wager did not respond to WSKG's Voter Guide questionnaire.