Priorities & Issues
Before getting into the details, we need to start with my #1 priority which is Equity.
Equity needs to be included in everything we do, and equity principles must be adhered to with every decision we make. We must always work to make sure our policies ensure everyone gets what they need.
I believe that the government should work for all of us, not just the well-connected.
In Albany, I will keep fighting so that all Central New Yorkers have access to affordable housing, feel safe, and have the ability to earn a living wage.
Affordability:
Syracuse has become unaffordable for the average family. National Grid bills, Eggs, Childcare are just a few of the everyday expenses that have ballooned over the last decade. I will work every day to ensure more money is in the pockets of working families while fighting against corporate greed.
Lowering utility costs and expanding clean energy access.
Every New Yorker deserves energy that is affordable and dependable. I will fight to lower utility bills and make sure they do not get too high. I will support programs that fix up homes so they use less energy and stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer. I will also work to make it easier for families to get help paying their energy bills. I will expand access to solar power, especially in neighborhoods that have been left out. This will help create more local energy and lower costs for working families.
Increasing wages to keep up with rising costs.
We need to raise the minimum wage so it keeps up with the cost of living. We should also end the lower wage for tipped workers so everyone earns a fair base pay.
Ending corporate price gouging.
Big companies often make excuses to charge families more money. As your representative in Albany, I will work to stop hidden fees and sudden price hikes that make life more expensive while helping the richest people get even richer.
Re-Investing back in New York State.
The richest people in our state are not paying their fair share. If we want programs like universal childcare and better health care for everyone, we have to raise the money to pay for them. We should not cut Medicaid to pay for housing. We should not take from one struggling group just to help another. Many families are already having a hard time. By asking big corporations and the top 1 percent to pay a little more in taxes, we can fund important programs that help families now and for many years to come.
Housing:
Everyone deserves safe, stable, and affordable housing. New York is in the midst of a deepening housing crisis. Rents, evictions, homelessness, housing shortages, and housing prices have reached historic highs. We need real solutions that help working families remain in their homes while increasing the supply of truly affordable housing.
Housing is a Human Right, and I see the consequences of this crisis every day. Both a former OCC Student Advisor and now as a County Legislator, I witness how housing instability and decades of disinvestment harm families,. The harm is felt by all of us, from students in the classroom, families in our neighborhoods, and everyone across Central New York
Fighting for affordable housing for all.
In the Assembly, I will champion legislation and budget priorities that strengthen tenant protections, expand access to safe and habitable housing, and support pathways to homeownership for working families. I have been a vocal advocate for fully funding right-to-counsel for tenants facing eviction and homeowners facing foreclosure, expanding affordable housing production, and ensuring that state investments prioritize communities facing displacement.
Public Safety:
Everyone deserves to feel safe in our community and real public safety starts by investing in Syracuse. We make our community safer by addressing the root causes of crime, not by relying on outdated systems that criminalize poverty, illness, and instability. As a County Legislator, I’ve advocated for creating more “third-spaces” where our children can feel safe and welcomed. Libraries, after-school programs, youth sports. We’ve seen in places like Baltimore where serious community investments do lead to improved outcomes in our community, we need to replicate those policies here in Central New York.
Advancing community-based safety solutions.
In the Assembly, I will fight for policies that prioritize crime prevention, accountability for all involved, and community well-being. I support investments in mental health care, youth programs, violence interruption, and alternatives to incarceration. I am committed to strengthening police transparency, expanding trauma-informed crisis response teams, and ensuring public safety strategies rely on social workers, mental health professionals, and community-based support when appropriate.
Reimagining criminal justice and ending mass incarceration.
I firmly believe that New York must move away from policies that perpetuate mass incarceration. I supported the 2019 bail reform law, and I continue to oppose harmful rollbacks that would reintroduce a wealth-based system of pretrial detention. No one should sit in jail simply because they don’t have the money to pay bail. I will continue fighting for holistic, community-based public safety solutions, these are investments in mental health care, youth opportunities, stable housing, and diversion programs that address the causes of harm before it happens. That is how we keep our neighborhoods safe and move toward a justice system rooted in dignity and fairness.
Transportation:
Everyone deserves safe, reliable, and affordable transportation. In Syracuse and across Onondaga County, too many residents are cut off from opportunity because getting to work, school, childcare, or the grocery store is slow, expensive, or unsafe. If we are serious about affordability and economic mobility, we must treat transportation as essential infrastructure that connects people to opportunity.
Transportation is about access and dignity. As a County Legislator, I see how limited bus frequency, unsafe streets, and car dependent development make it harder for working families to thrive. When Centro buses do not run often enough, when sidewalks are incomplete, or when bike lanes feel dangerous, people lose time, income, and options. That burden falls hardest on students, seniors, working families, and people without cars.
Building a modern, connected transportation system.
In the Assembly, I will fight to increase and stabilize state funding for Centro so we can improve service frequency, expand routes, and reduce wait times. Reliable, high frequency transit is the backbone of an equitable transportation system.
I will also champion investments in protected bike lanes, safer pedestrian infrastructure, and complete streets policies that prioritize safety over speed. No one should have to risk their life to bike to work or walk to school.
We must explore innovative and flexible mobility options that complement public transit, including micromobility programs such as Veo scooters and community based bike share. When paired with stronger transit service, these tools can help residents move efficiently across neighborhoods and throughout the county.
A modern transportation network reduces costs for families, lowers emissions, strengthens local businesses, and connects people to jobs. I will work to ensure that Central New York builds a system that moves all of us forward.
Education:
Children of all ages and from every ZIP code deserve access to a safe, equitable, and robust public education. I firmly believe that prioritizing our children’s future is paramount.
Expanding Universal Pre-K.
Universal Pre-K is one of the most effective investments we can make in our children’s futures. By expanding full-day, high-quality Pre-K across Central New York, we can ensure that every child, regardless of family income or zip code, has access to a strong early start.
Fully funding our schools and keeping kids in the classroom.
We must ensure adequate and equitable funding for our public schools, directing resources to programs that support students’ academic and emotional growth. School funding should reflect student needs, not local property values. We also need to keep our kids in school by reducing the overreliance on harsh disciplinary practices and addressing the discriminatory use of suspensions. Excessive discipline undermines learning and disproportionately affects children of color and students with learning differences. Every child deserves to learn in a supportive, inclusive environment.
Making higher education affordable, accessible, and supportive.
Everyone should have the opportunity to attend a high-quality public college or university, regardless of financial background. I will fight ensure college is tuition free. In the interim, we have to explore ways to expand financial aid availability, increase mental health resources, and ensure our students have the tools they need to thrive on campus and beyond.
Enviornmental Justice:
Everyone deserves clean air, safe water, and a healthy neighborhood. Yet in Syracuse and across Central New York, environmental burdens are not shared equally. Low income communities and communities of color are more likely to live near highways, industrial sites, aging housing stock with lead hazards, and neighborhoods lacking tree cover. Environmental justice means correcting those inequities and ensuring that no community is treated as disposable.
Environmental justice is about health, accountability, and investment. As a County Legislator, I have seen how decades of disinvestment, redlining, and poor planning have concentrated pollution and environmental risk in specific neighborhoods. From lead exposure in older homes to flooding in under resourced areas, the consequences show up in our emergency rooms, our schools, and our household budgets.
Putting environmental justice into action.
In the Assembly, I will fight to direct state climate and infrastructure dollars to frontline communities first. That means accelerating lead pipe replacement and home remediation, strengthening enforcement against polluters, and prioritizing environmental cleanup in historically overburdened neighborhoods.
I will champion investments in urban tree canopy, green infrastructure, and flood mitigation projects that reduce heat and stormwater runoff while creating local jobs. We must also ensure that residents have a meaningful voice in land use decisions, permitting processes, and state environmental reviews that impact their communities.
Environmental justice is not an abstract concept. It is about whether a child can drink from the tap safely, whether a senior can breathe clean air, and whether a neighborhood can thrive without being sacrificed for someone else’s convenience. I will work to ensure that every community in Central New York is healthy, resilient, and protected.
Workers’ Rights:
We must stand in solidarity with workers and the organized labor movement at every opportunity. The strength of our communities depends on the strength of our workforce!
Championing workers in the Assembly.
Representing Syracuse, a proud union town, I will consistently champion legislation and budget priorities that strengthen worker protections, defend collective bargaining rights, and expand access to great-paying union jobs. I will push back against corporate-driven rollbacks of hard-earned labor victories and stand firmly with workers on picket lines, at rallies, and in negotiations. In the Assembly, I will continue to fight fiercely for the right to organize, the right to strike, and the expansion of high-quality union jobs across every sector of our economy. Protecting workers is essential to protecting our communities.
Committed to Project Labor Agreements.
I support using a Project Labor Agreement for the Micron project. I believe Micron will work with labor unions and be a good partner moving forward. I believe every big project that uses public money should have a Project Labor Agreement. These agreements make sure workers earn fair wages, have safe job sites, and get good benefits. They also create training and apprenticeship opportunities for local workers. Project Labor Agreements help strengthen our workforce and make sure public money supports the families and communities who keep Syracuse strong.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What are Mo Brown’s top priorities in Albany?
Mo Brown’s priorities are centered on affordability, housing, public safety, transportation, education, environmental justice, and workers’ rights. His approach is rooted in equity — ensuring that people of all incomes and ZIP codes can thrive in Central New York.
How does this campaign define affordability?
Affordability means lowering everyday costs like utility bills, increasing wages to match the cost of living, reducing corporate price gouging, and reinvesting state resources back into communities rather than tax breaks for large corporations.
What does Mo Brown believe about public safety and justice?
Mo believes public safety is about prevention, community investment, accountability, and alternatives to incarceration. His platform emphasizes expanding mental health care, youth programs, and community-based responses rather than simply increasing punishment.
How does the campaign approach transportation and infrastructure?
Reliable, safe, and affordable transportation connects people to jobs, school, healthcare, and opportunity. Mo will advocate for increased funding for public transit, safer streets, bike and pedestrian infrastructure, and innovative mobility options that complement traditional transit systems.