Onondaga County legislators are gearing up for one of their most consequential votes in years.
On Tuesday, they are set to decide on the proposed $85 million inner harbor aquarium, a project proposed last year by County Executive Ryan McMahon, who said he’s looking to bring a new tourist and science destination to the city of Syracuse.
The project has produced some strong opinions among legislators, including Mary Kuhn. The back and forth between Republicans and Democrats remained fierce as they neared the vote.
“The opposition is actually running it like a political campaign,” McMahon said. “Certainly, legislators are getting a lot of organized calls. But the reality is we feel good. We feel the momentum is on our side with the vote tomorrow. The project is comprehensive.”
Pam Hunter was not on the same page.
“As a Democrat, I’m standing here saying, ‘don’t spend money,’ when traditionally, it would be Republicans who are saying, ‘we have money, but we need to be making sure we are good stewards of the money, we need to make sure we’re not spending in a flamboyant fashion.’ And I’m just saying, let’s just wait and have a conversation,” Hunter said.
There is still time for the voices of Onondaga County residents to be heard on the aquarium project.
There will be a public comment period at Tuesday’s meeting.
Emailed statements will also be taken until noon on Tuesday.
