A new name and face entered Onondaga County Politics Tuesday.
"This is my first campaign, this is my first press conference, this is the first time I've ever carried a podium and worn a suit in a public plaza. And I officially feel like I'm running for public office.”
That’s Democrat and Syracuse native Tim Rudd, and the office he’s seeking is the legislature’s 15th district currently occupied by chairman Ryan McMahon. Rudd made it clear from the start that as he begins to raise money for his campaign, he will not accept donations greater than $250 from anyone doing business with the county.
"I think people are worried about what interests are being represented when decisions are being made. I think it's really important to avoid the appearance of conflict of interest in order to ensure you're serving the people of the county. So, I do believe it's a real issue, I think its certainly an issue in the state, and this is one step I can do in my campaign to respond to that."
Rudd is calling on incumbent McMahon to do the same for each of the three political committees he controls. Since first running for county legislature in 2011, Rudd says the committees have raised close to a half million dollars for McMahon’s re-election and the campaigns of other republican candidates for county legislature. Rudd says multiple donations have come from DestiNY USA executives.
"They made sizable contributions to his committees. Within three months, they were asking for a large tax break. They didn't go through the traditional process, but they went directly to the county industrial development agency seeking a tax break for a hotel. They haven't gotten it, but Ryan does support it, and that's certainly one example that I think raises some questions."
Rudd is concerned money and influence are guiding policy decisions rather than good ideas and robust debate. He holds a master’s in public administration from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School, and spent three years in New York City’s Office of Management and Budget. Rudd currently does cost-benefit analysis for a social policy research organization.
