One of the more outspoken former members of the Onondaga County Legislature died over the weekend after a battle with cancer. Mary Kuhn was 76. Her two terms in office came during an especially tumultuous time in county government. Transparency and constituent involvement were cornerstones of Kuhn’s campaigns and tenure.
“I don't know how successful I was at that, but I do know that I did a lot regarding giving information out about what has happened, inviting people to participate," Kuhn said in a 2023 interview as she wrapped up her time in office. She decided not to seek re-election and had been diagnosed with cancer.
She said one of the avenues to engagement was by streaming legislative sessions, especially during and after the pandemic.
“…which I tried to do immediately in 2020, and I was told there wasn't enough money. And then I did it again, and now we have it and I think it's because of the push that we had from my perspective…”
As a member of the Democratic minority, Kuhn and her colleagues were consistently stymied by the Republican super majority and county executive. She was frustrated but undeterred when it came to controversial issues such as the narrow approval of the aquarium in late 2021.
“It’s not that people didn't think an aquarium is exciting, but not now, and want more information about the economic impact…”
Around the same time, county Republicans were pushing through their version of redrawn district maps that Democrats claimed were gerrymandered. Kuhn said she was advocating for the constituents in her DeWitt district.
"So many of the comments where this is a failed rushed process and now you're doing it again," Kuhn said. "We're making an attempt to slow it down. So we'll see how that goes.”
Democrats filed a lawsuit in mid-2022, and it was settled last fall with only minor revisions that didn’t address allegations of gerrymandering or voter disenfranchisement. Before becoming a legislator, Kuhn had a long career as a county social worker. She shared her expertise as an occasional panelist for a call-in advice show "Parenting Matters" here on WAER in the late 1990’s and early 2000s.
