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Miner says Katko has not asked her how to help Syracuse

Tom Magnarelli
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WRVO News
Rep. John Katko (R-Camillus) with children in Syracuse on Aug. 8.

Syracuse Democratic Mayor Stephanie Miner said Republican Rep. John Katko has not asked her how he can help the city of Syracuse during his first term in office. Katko's office refuted the claim and said that the congressman has helped on a number of issues.  

Credit Tom Magnarelli / WRVO News
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WRVO News
Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner at City Hall on Monday, Aug. 8.

Specifically, Miner would have liked help on new FEMA flood maps, Department of Justice funding of police body cameras, and Syracuse’s lead program. Syracuse was recently denied federal funding for its lead program. Onondaga County’s lead program was accepted. FEMA has added more than 600 Syracuse properties to new floodplain maps. That brings the total to more than 1,600 properties in Syracuse that could be required to pay flood insurance premiums. The city is still waiting on funding for police body cameras.

Katko’s office said they have, in fact, worked closely with the mayor’s office on Syracuse’s grant applications for body cameras and lead removal, in addition to gang violence prevention. Katko has hosted Miner in Washington D.C. to talk about infrastructure issues and fought to maintain funding levels for safe drinking water. Katko spokesperson Erin O’Connor said Katko also helped designate federal funding of Interstate-81 construction in downtown Syracuse as a high priority. O’Connor said Miner should focus on Syracuse’s needs, instead of a congressional race that Miner declined to run in.

Miner is supporting Katko's Democratic opponent, Colleen Deacon. 

Tom Magnarelli is a reporter covering the central New York and Syracuse area. He joined WRVO as a freelance reporter in 2012 while a student at Syracuse University and was hired full time in 2015. He has reported extensively on politics, education, arts and culture and other issues around central New York.