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Amid some pushback, Syracuse council fills vacancy with Democratic candidate

Bryn Lovejoy-Grinnell for Syracuse 3rd District Councilor Facebook
Bryn Lovejoy-Grinnell, Syracuse Common Council's newest councilor.

The Syracuse Common Council appointed Bryn Lovejoy-Grinnell this week to replace Councilor Susan Boyle, after Boyle stepped down to work for Onondaga County. But the council’s only Republican continues to take issue with the process leading to Lovejoy-Grinnell’s appointment.

Councilor Joe Carni said it’s not a question of Lovejoy-Grinnell’s character, as to why he voted against her appointment.

“I did not agree with the process,” Carni said. “I think it became overly political and did not allow for members of other parties to participate in the process.”

The Onondaga County Democratic Committee selected Lovejoy-Grinnell as their designated candidate for the district seat. A majority of Democrats on the city council decided that they were going to appoint whoever was selected by the committee to fill the vacancy before an election is held in November.

For vacancies in the past, the council has solicited resumes and held interviews for any individuals who were interested in joining. In response to Carni, Councilor Joe Driscoll said the Onondaga County executive does not need to consult with anyone when filling a legislator vacancy. 

“When the council makes its decision, the person with five votes is given a seat,” Driscoll said. “I believe we were as transparent as we needed to be.”

Lovejoy-Grinnell will be sworn in next week. She is the director of legal services for Vera House, a resource for victims of domestic and sexual violence.

Tom Magnarelli is a reporter covering the central New York and Syracuse area. He joined WRVO as a freelance reporter in 2012 while a student at Syracuse University and was hired full time in 2015. He has reported extensively on politics, education, arts and culture and other issues around central New York.