To read more about Tim Kelly’s opponent, Al Stirpe, click here. To read more of Central Current’s 2024 election coverage, learn how to register to vote and more, click here.Tim Kelly, a Republican, is looking to unseat Al Stirpe, the incumbent in the New York State Assembly’s 127th District. Stirpe has represented the district since 2013. Kelly previously served as the chair for the Town of Manlius Zoning Board. He currently works as the Director of Rural Operations for Imcon International Inc. Early voting begins Oct. 26, which is also the deadline for voters to register to vote. Election Day is Nov. 5. ​​Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity. What’s one thing you plan to do if elected to help bring Micron to fruition?One of the things that I would like to do in office to help bring Micron here — which I feel is vitally important for our community, not only with the creation of jobs, but what it will do to our region — is to work with other state and federal leaders to ensure that we focus on addressing the traffic concerns in that area along the route 31 corridor, and also making sure all the appropriate state resources are there so that the project can go on without a hitch. What’s one thing you plan to do to make Micron a boon for everyone?One of the things that I would do in office to help Micron grow in coming to Central New York is to ensure that we’re helping our local schools and our colleges have the appropriate resources so that we can train people. I would also like to see, for folks who are mid- or late-career, programs put in place so that we can ensure that people are able to fulfill these jobs locally, and that we’re not just bringing people in from other parts of the country. I want this to be a benefit to current Central New Yorkers as well. Should Micron be unionized?I haven’t thought about that question. It’s an interesting question, because you’re going to have different types of staff. Personally, I would like to see what the different job roles are at Micron. I, at this time, don’t have an answer, though, on whether it should be unionized.​​ I don’t know enough, honestly, to answer that question, I don’t know enough about the different roles. I have a pretty good idea of what the people are doing, but I don’t, I don’t understand. I shouldn’t say I don’t understand, I don’t know enough. You know, I know enough. Like, if you’re talking to someone like the hospital or the college or things like that, where those roles fit, but you know, I don’t know the rank and file jobs at Micron.Since the law was changed in 2019, Raise the Age has become a lightning rod topic. Do you think it should change? What should change about it?I think that we need to—one of our first priorities should be addressing all the changes around bail reform. We’re seeing a rise in crime. We’re seeing a rise in shoplifting within stores. The store where my wife works is regularly robbed by people shoplifting on almost a daily basis, if not at least a couple times a week. Car theft is through the roof in Central New York, and repeat offenders continue to offend and cause havoc in this community, and they’re not always held accountable.Do you think New York State has enough tools to boost affordable housing? How would you add to those tools?I think New York does have the proper tools in place. I think one of the things that’s important is to protect home rule in our local communities and allow them to be the ones that control our zoning laws, because they uniquely understand the specific nuances of their communities. I don’t think that’s something that the state should have a broad brush on. But I do feel that, yes, there are resources that need to be in place, or there are resources in place, that can help attract affordable housing, so that when Micron comes in and grows in Central New York — or other parts of the state — we need to make sure that we can make homes affordable to people. And that’s a variety of different things (going on), whether it’s multi-use spaces being repurposed from old places like the old Great Northern Mall or the old Shopping Town Mall. But also communities like the new Twin Ponds project in the town of Manlius, some creative uses of a (planned unit development) to put a couple hundred apartments in the town of Manlius, which I think is terrific. Do you support the right to counsel in housing court?Yes. One of the things that came with Covid-19 were some of the changes in the ability for tenants that weren’t able to pay, and that did create a lot of problems for property owners. I think there needs to be a balance of ensuring that the property owners are paid to keep up and maintain their properties. At the same time I do think that the tenant should have the right to counsel in court so that we can have a good, nice, even balance, so that the tenant has some rights. You’re protecting the assets of the property owner as well because there are certainly instances where you know that’s been taken advantage of. And I know a few people who you know own properties that you know they’ve had people who for an extended period of time haven’t paid rent —they don’t maintain the property, and it’s bad for the community. It’s bad for a neighborhood when that dispute occurs and you have a blighted property that makes the rest of the neighborhood look bad, or things like that.Do you support the Equal Rights Amendment? Do you support codifying abortion rights?I don’t support Proposition One, because I think those pieces are already in place. I think our current state constitution protects everybody and with abortion being something that’s protected currently by the Constitution of the State of New York, it’s not something that is going to change tomorrow. Personally, my faith, I’m more pro life. I do believe in the three exceptions: rape, incest, in the life of the mother. Those are very important to me but as a Republican, and especially Republican in the minority, that isn’t something that — the state is a very Democratic state — it’s not going to change tomorrow. By the changing of Roe v. Wade, I know it’s a big hot topic and that’s the focus with the campaign against Mannion and Williams and things like that right now, but (Supreme Court of the United States) gave (the ability to codify or ban abortion)  back to the state. In New York State, a woman is going to have the right to an abortion, whether I agree with it or not. And personally, I’m more of the belief that you do you and I do me. What you do in your house, what you do to your house, and what you do with your life is yours, but I’m allowed to have my opinion, and they can differ, and I’m okay with that. I want to work with everybody. It doesn’t matter if I agree with them or not. I know I won’t always, but we can do it. We can do it in a manner where we’re being cordial and respectful of each other too, without poking each other and yelling.What would you do to fight energy rate hikes affecting working families?So I know that there certainly are a lot of things going on with New York state, with rising cost of energy, rising cost of basically living in New York state, to be completely frank. With that being said, we need to ensure that we’re making smart decisions about the stress we put on our electrical grid because that is going to increase the costs. To me, that’s where being smart about things such as the conversion to electric school buses. I think that’s a process that’s currently being rushed. I think 2027 is much too early for that. And you know that increased strain on the grid without an investment in our current infrastructure, whether it be a new nuclear plant or bolstering what we have in place. I know multiple communities or parts of the district that I’ve talked to where brownouts regularly occur. And it’s not always on really hot days where everybody’s using their air conditioning, that’s the grid can’t support certain areas. So if we’re going to put more of a stress on that, we have to be smart about that. But at the same time, try to keep energy rates affordable so that people are able to heat and cool their homes or use the gas appliances and things like that.How will you make sure that taking construction on the Interstate 81 viaduct doesn’t worsen health outcomes for residents that live near it? So I think that, obviously, that’s one of the things that has been addressed in many of the different forums. I’ve seen that increased rates of asthma and other conditions for folks who live close to the current I-81. The street grid, that’s certainly going to make a more ground level hoping to connect back the city together. The main thoroughfare will be Interstate 481, so I think you are going to see a change. There’s going to be less traffic going through the central part of Syracuse. So I believe that will help with that. I know there are some housing development plans in some parts of the North Side of the city of Syracuse. So I think, you know, as they address that, as they build those buildings with proper filtration and follow proper environmental code, you’re going to have properties where people aren’t necessarily breathing in those same fumes as much as they would in the current configuration of 81.The post 2024 Election Q&A: Republican Tim Kelly hopes to unseat Al Stirpe from NYS Assembly appeared first on Central Current.