"Far Left Chaos” - January 2026 MB Update for Onondaga County
January 6th 2026
Welcome to 2026! Over the last ten days, a lot has happened! The Onondaga County Legislature has made several consequential decisions that deserve clear explanation and honest reflection. This post is meant to walk through what happened, why it matters, and how I am thinking about the road ahead both as a county legislator and as someone still exploring a run for State Assembly.
December 29: The Largest County Project in History
On Monday, December 29, the County Legislature approved the largest bond project in our history, a $550 million wastewater treatment plant upgrade. The vote was entirely along party lines.
Before anything else, I want to sincerely thank the many residents who took time out of their lives to show up and speak against this project. Whether or not people agree with the final outcome, civic participation matters. Residents came prepared, thoughtful, and deeply concerned about long term sewer rates and affordability. That deserves respect.
Amongst them were experts on waste water, forestry and large scale projects of this kind. The most noteworthy of the speakers was former WEP commissioner Shannon Pagano, who oversaw this exact project up until July. The concerns they raised were valid, and we had to recess before the vote in order for Republicans to consider their votes before voting.
I also want to address comments made during this process. Legislator Meaker and I have a working relationship, and I intend to keep it that way. However, calling residents “misinformed” is uncalled for. People can disagree without being dismissed. When dozens of residents raise similar concerns, the appropriate response is to engage them seriously, not diminish them.
It is also worth stating plainly that this bond passed 12 to 5. Had State Senator Chris Ryan not vacated his seat in 2024, this bond would not have passed. This isn’t to bad mouth him by no means. There’s no way he could’ve predicted his vote. I am confident his vote would have been on the right side of this issue. A small detail to some, but for me it’s huge as someone considering vacating a seat. I think this reckless and irresponsible vote could’ve been avoided with some better planning, and I couldn’t in good conscious subject a future legislature to the fate I just endured..
January 2: Naming a New Chair: aka far-left chaos
On Friday, January 2, the Onondaga County Legislators named Legislator Nicole Watts as Chair of the Legislature. I still maintain that I’d have been a fine chair of the Legislature; however, I support Chairwoman Watts and appreciate her willingness to step into a challenging role at an important moment.
What was deeply disappointing was the immediate response from Republican colleagues. Not even a response, as they sent a press release out (via facebook of all places) before the vote even took place. Rather than expressing a willingness to work together in a new session, they chose to lead with name calling.
While I am honored, they view me to be so influential, I think referring to the entire Democratic caucus as “Far Left Chaos” says far more about their approach than it does about ours. For what it is worth, it is also an elite trivia team name, and I will absolutely be using it if I find myself at trivia night anytime soon.
Jokes aside, I was not shocked. The press release attacking the new leadership was issued before the session even began. I did not expect Republicans to immediately step into the mud. I have no problem getting dirty if needed, but my caucus has made it clear that, for now, we are keeping things clean. I respect that decision.
Ways and Means and the Responsibility We Owe the Community
I want to publicly thank Chairwoman Watts for naming me Chair of the Ways and Means Committee for the 2026 session.
Most plainly put, the Ways and Means committee oversees the county budget. It’s far more complicated than that, but if money is to be spent in Onondaga County, it will go through a committee that I will chair. I am looking forward to the opportunity. That responsibility matters, especially in a county where nonprofits are asked to shoulder a disproportionate amount of public responsibility. When we rely on nonprofit organizations to feed people, house people, and care for children, we owe them the resources to do that work well.
In 2026, I want Ways and Means to be used proactively. Too often, this committee is treated as a rubber stamp that reacts to whatever the county executive places in front of us. I believe it can be a tool to shape outcomes instead of just responding to them.
That means using the budget process to confront food insecurity, invest in housing stability, support childcare infrastructure and a plethora of other community needs. These are not abstract goals. They are issues raised by constituents every week. If we know these needs exist, we should not wait for a crisis or a press headline to address them.
I was looking forward to working with both Democrats and Republicans to move this vision forward. However, if Republicans are determined to do nothing but name call this year, I am not interested in dragging them into work they have publicly decided to avoid.
Still Exploring a Run for Assembly
I am still exploring a run for State Assembly in the 129th Assembly District.
I spoke about what this exploration means at length in a previous post. At this point, the press questions have been answered. The union questions have been answered. Community issue conversations have happened. All that remains on the Albany side is whether we can meet the donation threshold by the January 11 deadline and whether the Working Families Party will support the campaign.
I am seeking endorsements from Citizen Action, DSA, and several unions, including NYSUT, CSEA, and 1199. I may not receive every endorsement, but making a good faith effort matters. Listening matters. Often, the endorsement process itself is the most efficient way to engage deeply with people who care about the same issues from different angles.
I recently attended the Working Families Party end of year event and had the opportunity to speak with Brad Lander, Jabari Brisport, and other New York elected officials about what is coming in 2026. Those conversations reinforced my belief that this moment demands clarity, not caution.
What about the work in the Legislature?
There is an unresolved question hanging over the Legislature: what kind of body do we want to be?
Several of my Democratic colleagues have expressed, publicly and privately, a strong desire to “work with Republicans.” I understand that instinct. But if Republicans are determined to do nothing, I have no interest in serving in a Legislature that does nothing in the name of bipartisanship.
To quote Zohran Mamdani, “I will not abandon my principles for fear of being deemed radical.” In this context, substitute “radical” with “far left chaos.” Republicans opposed every single appointment we made. This, immediately after ramming through several political appointments at the last minute, some of which aren’t even up until August of this year. That is a clear signal. No matter how much we compromise, no matter how far right we reach to meet them, they are committed to name calling and obstruction over good faith governance.
I am not interested in serving in a Legislature that prioritizes that dynamic. If my colleagues ultimately decide that movement without Republican support is unacceptable, then being on the County Legislature may no longer be the right fit for me.
Not everyone agrees on how much work I did to help get democrats elected to county legislature. That is fine. I believe I did a lot of work to build this majority. What I am not interested in doing is convincing Democrats that “successfully doing things that harm the community” is somehow a win.
If the choice is between ‘definitely doing bad things successfully’ or ‘trying to do good things and sometimes failing,’ I will choose the latter every time. Republicans can brag about successfully building an aquarium, I care far more about whether our actions actually help people.
I am not sure how my democratic colleagues will react to the Republicans; however, a large part of the exploration for State office is comparing the work I’ll be able to do in each body. If it seems impossible to do things at the county level, then it’ll heavily factor in.
In the community.
Despite the political ongoing, I have continued to attend community events whenever possible. Over the holidays, I attended a Kwanzaa celebration hosted by Cafe Sankofa. I was invited to a JROTC Inspection ceremony at Fowler HS. Even when I was in the service, Drill and Ceremony always reminded me of the movie Major Payne, and I always got good feels while doing.
One of the most meaningful moments recently was the swearing in of Sharon Owens. Her mother, Ester, spoke in a way that genuinely moved me to tears. Moments like that are grounding. I’m glad she didn’t walk away from the fact that she’s the first black mayor in our city’s history. I get real pushback from my white colleagues on how important that is. To me it’s so important that we acknowledge the racial progress. Our city has been around for 200+ years and it is absolutely monumental that we elect our first black mayor.
Our county has been around for a long time as well, we’ve never had a black Legislature Chair or County Executive, and when I bring it up, I get serious pushback as to how we should never factor that in when making decisions. I disagree, publicly and privately. These landmark moments play a huge moment for community morale, as well as building up the next wave of leaders.
Oh, and I was sworn in for the 2026 term! It fell through the cracks, but it’s an important historical moment.
Closing Thoughts
Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read this update and to engage with the work. If you have not yet made a donation and are in a position to do so, I would appreciate your support.
I am also still open to feedback. If you have thoughts on how to communicate with Republicans who insist on childish behavior, or with Democrats who believe playing it safe is less risky than trying and failing at doing good, I am listening. If you have a relationship with a legislator who is not named Maurice, I would encourage you to speak with them directly.
Thank you for showing up, staying engaged, and holding us accountable. I am looking forward to a successful 2026, whatever shape it ultimately takes.