Mary Ann Callahan ‘93 is the Republican and Conservative candidate for the Binghamton City Council’s first district. A Binghamton native, Callahan serves as chair of the Community Development Advisory Committee (CDAC), which represents the needs and interests of residents in the city’s planning process and is active in the First Ward Neighborhood Watch and the Broome County Land Bank. Questionnaire responses have been edited for grammar.
1. What motivated you to run?
I’ve lived in the First District, also known as the First Ward, all my life, except for the nine years I spent working in Afghanistan from 2003 [to] 2012. When I returned, I came back to the house my parents bought in 1964, and I saw that things in the Ward had changed dramatically. Such issues as deteriorating conditions regarding our housing stock, a growing number of homeless and an increase in drug activity were critical concerns. Also, our young people need to have activities that engage them in positive directions, and our elderly need to know that they will be cared for. All of these were evidence that there needed to be innovative action to find solutions to the root causes of things facing residents. As the representative for the First District, I will work to find those solutions.
2. How does your background and previous experience make you a strong candidate for this position?
I grew up in the First Ward and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Binghamton University in 1993. During that time, I worked for several years to assist the many refugees who were settled here in the late 1980s and early 1990s. I also served on the CDAC for the Federal Block Grant for several years. In 2003, I traveled to Afghanistan where I worked as a donor [and] ministry liaison for the [United States] government and later as the administrator of a hybrid press service that trained Afghan journalists to report to the Afghan people on the efforts of the international community to help build a stable country after so many years of war.
When I returned home, I became involved in the community, serving again on the CDAC, where I am currently the chair, as well as the Citizen Advisory Panel (CAP) for the Broome County Land Bank and as the coordinator of the First Ward Neighborhood Watch. I have sought to bring our neighbors together to seek solutions to the problems we face as a community. I believe that all of my experiences, both locally and internationally, give me insights and skill sets that will help me to be an effective member of the City Council.
3. What do you believe are the biggest issues facing your constituents, and how do you plan to address them?
I believe that the challenges of an aging housing stock and irresponsible landlords, a growing homeless population and an increase in crime and drug activity are all things the residents of the First Ward need redress for. These issues affect the quality of the lives of all residents, both homeowners and tenants and their families. Our children deserve a safe place to grow in and as councilwoman, I will work to effectively leverage all resources the city has, whether it is local funding or funding from New York state or the federal government to ensure that real solutions are found and implemented that directly benefit residents in tangible ways.
4. Many students and community members are concerned about increasing prices, including housing and household essentials. How do you plan to address these concerns?
One way to effectively deal with the issues regarding housing is to ensure that we use the funding we get to enable first-time home buyers and families to own their own homes. We have housing stock here in the Ward that could be starter homes — many with apartments that could be rented by owner-occupiers to help offset mortgage costs. We need to encourage home ownership and build a sense of community as we do it.
As [a] councilwoman, I will work to do that. I will also work to address the homeless population in concrete ways that provide a path to having a place of their own to call home. This will involve partnering with relevant agencies to make sure that resources are used wisely and are direct benefits for those who need them the most. This can only be accomplished if we make housing a priority that is broad and includes every funding resource we have.
5. Why should students and young people vote for you?
I believe I bring my experience to bear to find solutions to the issues facing the City. I will leverage my experience to advocate for effective programs that meet the needs of our families, the elderly and our young people.
We have an opportunity here in the Ward to create a community in which families can afford their own homes, where our elders have the care they need and our young people have positive ways to spend time. The Boys and Girls Club is located on the First Ward, and as a member of the CDAC, I have voted to recommend increases in funding for their programs and facilities.
The First Ward is also positioned to be a place that can support opportunities such as the newest project that BU has been awarded. It can provide opportunities for workers of such projects to own affordable homes, and it can be a hub for dining and small businesses to grow as well. I will advocate for all of these things as a member of the Binghamton City Council.