Jason Garnar ‘99 is the incumbent Broome County executive. Running unopposed as the Democratic candidate, he was elected in 2016 after serving multiple terms in the Broome County Legislature. Questionnaire responses have been lightly edited for clarity.
What motivated you to run for this position?
I first ran for Broome County Executive in 2016 because I wanted to help make our community a better place to live, work and play in. Almost eight years later, that is my same motivation. The Broome County government has over 2,000 employees and over 40 departments, and being able to help develop budgets, programs and initiatives that make our community a better place to live in continues to motivate me every day.
How does your background and previous experience make you a strong candidate for this position?
I have a lot of experience in county government, serving as Broome County Executive for the last eight years and for five terms as a Broome County Legislator. I work with elected officials from both parties at every level of government and have developed really good relationships with our local business community, nonprofit organizations and educational institutions.
Why are you an ideal candidate for young voters and students?
As a proud Binghamton University alumni ‘99, I have a unique perspective on being a student here and then graduating, getting a job and settling down to live in Broome County. When students graduate, they are looking for communities that are affordable, provide a lot of career opportunities and have a lot of things to do. Over the last eight years, I have worked hard to do that right here in Broome County.
Polling has indicated that cost of living is a big concern for young voters. What are your plans to address this?
One of the most important things we have done at the county level to reduce the cost of living is to greatly reduce the property tax rate. Since I have been county executive, we have cut the property tax rate over 24 percent.
How would you address any one of the major issues facing Broome County residents?
Some of the biggest issues in Broome County are jobs, housing and the opioid epidemic. The county has made big investments in economic development, like completely redeveloping the Oakdale Commons. We have invested millions of dollars to build hundreds of new units of housing, and we will continue to do that next year. We also have made transformational investments in fighting the opioid epidemic by getting a brand new treatment center here in 2018, successfully litigating big pharmaceutical companies for their role in the opioid epidemic and using all of the opioid settlement funds for investing in more drug treatment programs.
What should be prioritized in the county budget?
Most of the county budget is made up of programs that New York state mandates we provide. We work to make sure we provide quality services while being cost-effective for taxpayers. The seven bipartisan budgets I have worked to pass have emphasized a strong commitment to public safety, more funding for education, investing in our workforce, improving our infrastructure and revitalizing our many county parks.