AUBURN - The candidates for Cayuga County Legislature District 12 talked about the relationship between the city of Auburn and Cayuga County during a televised debate Thursday.

Republican candidate Thomas McKellop faces Democrat, Conservative and Independent candidate Patrick Mahunik for the county seat currently held by David Pappert (R-Auburn), who is not seeking re-election.

District 12 encompasses the southeast corner of Auburn.

Both candidates said that economic development is important to both the city and the county, and a unified effort between both municipalities with a consolidated economic development office would foster a stronger partnership and better results.

Currently there is a Cayuga County Department of Planning and Development and a City Department of Planning and Economic Development.

McKellop, a career and employment counselor with Westminster Presbyterian Church in Auburn, views a unified economic development office as a better forum to “collectively sit down and talk about how we can develop businesses in Cayuga County,” he said.

Small businesses provide plentiful opportunities for employment, he said, but they generally fail shortly after their advent.

“It's the small businesses that create the most jobs, if they are supported,” he said.

A unified office encouraging economic development, he said, would provide that necessary support.

Mahunik also sees the need to reform the current system of two independent offices.

“Consolidation is key,” he said. “We need to stop the competition between the city and the county. We need to do what's best for this county as a whole.

“We have two agencies working for a common goal, but they are working against each other,” he added.

Mahunik, an assistant principal at the Onondaga-Cortland-Madison Board of Cooperative Educational Services, sees the rewards of collaboration and consolidation daily in his job.

Those involved in OCM BOCES are reaping the benefits of the collaboration among the three counties and the 23 entrenched school districts, he said.

Cayuga County could also benefit from collaboration and consolidation, he said, citing examples such as the highway department and even small issues such as purchasing office supplies.

He noted that supplies are less expensive when purchased in bulk, and the county could save money by aligning its needs with that of the other municipalities.

McKellop pointed to merging offices offering duplicate services as key in strengthening Cayuga County, pointing to the two individual Civil Service Commissions at the county and city levels.

He also noted that adopting green energy across the county would reduce costs and provide additional dollars to be used for the taxpayers.

Both candidates said, that if elected, their allegiance is first and foremost to the people they represent. But one of the things they want to do is promote cooperation among the two municipalities, so the needs of Auburn mesh with that of the county.

“Cooperation is key between the Auburn City Council and the county Legislature,” said McKellop.

Employment and taxes are just some of the issues require the interaction of both the city and the county, he said.

“Whoever is elected has to think of those issues,” he added.

Mahunik said that he also has the constituents' interest in mind. And if he is elected, he is going to fight for his district, but not when it will hurt several other districts or municipalities.

The city and county governments are “not cohesive, not cooperating,” he said. There is a need to build “camaraderie between the two,” he added.

Staff writer Alyssa Sunkin can be reached at alyssa.sunkin@lee.net or 253-5311 ext. 239