Chol Majok said it’s time for some changes in the city of Syracuse, and he thinks, as mayor, he can make that happen.
“I like to always say, under my leadership, I will lead Syracuse into the future, where families thrive, neighborhoods flourish, and opportunities are accessible," said Majok.
As a father of six, Majok said he is deeply troubled that census data shows Syracuse has the highest rate of child poverty in the nation. He said the city government needs to treat the crisis as an economic issue.
"Until we skill up our community members, until we skill up parents and mothers, poverty is going to loom around, because without the right skills and without the right talent, we will not challenge those economic conditions," he said.
Majok said a big part of that is preparing the people who live in the city for the jobs and careers available now, not just the potential opportunities future development, like Micron, may bring. He mentions healthcare as an industry that could use more trained professionals locally.
As one of the “Lost Boys” of South Sudan, Majok came to the United States as a refugee in 2001. Now, he is a workforce development professional and has won three terms on the Syracuse Common Council.
"I have been able to improve my condition because I was able to increase my skills level,” he said. “It was able to open doors for me. I want to see the same thing. That's what I want to see here."
Majok said increasing stability also involves improving public safety. He wants proactive policing to keep guns from coming into the community.
"I want to also make sure that officers are patrolling the streets. I want to make sure I'm working with churches and community organizations to proactively tackle these issues," Majok said.
And in the wake of a budget battle between the Walsh administration and the Syracuse Common Council, Majok said it’s a priority for him to rein in spending, and if elected, he wants to open lines of communication with the council and community.
"If you look at the nature of our community, the majority of individuals that you see in poverty today have lost hope in our ability as a government to address problems,” he said. “It would be a refresher to see somebody that grew up in foster care, grew up in the Brighton neighborhood, that went to Fowler High School, that was a refugee, that grew up in trenches, to have a chance."
Early voting is underway through June 22, and Primary Day is June 24.
Stories on the other candidates in the Democratic primary for Syracuse mayor, Common Councilor Pat Hogan, and Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens, will be on air and online later this week.
