Interview by Emily Hessney Lynch.

Published January 24, 2020.

Where are you from? How did you end up in Rochester?

I was born in Rochester; I’m the daughter of two RCSD retirees. My mom was a guidance counselor and my dad was an administrator. They met when he was a math teacher at Charlotte and my mom was a substitute teacher. I grew up in the Maplewood neighborhood and attended John Marshall High School.

Why did you choose to stay in Rochester?

I always felt a very strong sense of community. Rochester has such a rich history, wonderful neighborhoods, and enormous potential. I wanted to be part of its continuing story. 

What are some hidden gems you've discovered around Rochester?

I spend most of my time at the Metro YMCA. I grew up walking the Maplewood Gorge Trail from the Maplewood Rose Garden to the pedestrian bridge that goes to the zoo; it’s one of the best walks in the fall. And we’re sitting in one! New City Cafe on Parsells in the Beechwood neighborhood. L&M Lanes is another great spot- a lot of people don’t remember that it’s there. 

What's one memory you have that captures what Rochester means to you?

As a reporter for 20 years, I covered some of our biggest moments. The Fast Ferry coming and going, Kodak’s bankruptcy, some very consequential mayoral and county executive elections. Through it all, there’s been a constant: Rochester is very resilient. It’s also resistant to structural change. We are still segregated, we still face inequality. We still don’t have equal opportunity. But I believe we have the capability and the tools to make things better. 

Tell me a little bit about your research on the digital divide. 

One third of city households don’t have internet at home, and that has major implications for participating in social, recreational, and civic life. We have children who may not be able to explore the world the same way as their peers. We could have the next George Eastman running around and they may not have the tools they need to think deeply and invent. The entire world’s knowledge is online and some kids don’t have access to it. 

We need to have a task force to look at this issue. We should study how to use the infrastructure that taxpayers pay for- how can we use the fiber network to benefit the community? There are varying levels of things you can do- fiber to home networks, wifi networks, targeting specific geographic areas. But, it needs to be studied. You can’t just snap your fingers and make a change. We need to talk to stakeholders too- what are the needs of people who would use this? It’s a very complicated issue. A task force could examine how we can best solve this. I believe we need a municipal network- but it doesn’t necessarily need to be fiber to every home.

[Editor’s note: you can download Rachel’s paper about bridging the digital divide here.]

What makes Rochester unique? 

I think our history is very special- our history of progressive activism combined with innovation. We hear a lot about Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass, as well as Kodak, Xerox, and Bausch & Lomb, but there are lots of other figures, firms, and companies that have played a role in the Rochester we see today. We are still a hotbed of progressive activism and innovation. Now we need to figure out how we can harness that innovation to create another golden age for our community, and one that doesn’t leave people behind. 

What do you hope to see change in Rochester in 2020? 

So far we’ve talked a lot about the need to address poverty and inequality. One thing that I haven’t brought up yet is corruption. I am the only local elected official who talks about the need to create ethical, transparent, and accountable government. We simply do not have the structures at the city and county level to ensure checks and balances and good government. I hope to start conversations around these issues. At the county level, I believe we need an elected comptroller and a strong ethics board. These things won’t happen immediately, but they need to be discussed. Rochester is an outlier in NYS for not having these things.

In the mid-80s, Lucien Morin (the County Executive at the time) & Tom Ryan (the then-Mayor) - didn’t put checks and balances in county and city charters that are required. 40 years later, it’s time to revisit this issue. They were extremely popular and people thought they could do no wrong. We’ve had things go wrong- things that may not have happened if we had the proper checks in place.

What inspired you to run for office? 

I was frustrated with the state of our local leadership. I felt like we’re not solving problems. Our local leaders weren’t using their platforms to speak out about important issues. I wanted to see if I could make a difference in a different way. I had no idea what I was in for!

What does a County Legislator do?

The County Legislature is made up of 29 part-time legislators. Most of us have full-time jobs. We’re responsible for approving a $1.2B budget. The County is responsible for human services, which makes up a giant portion of the budget. The County also has public safety, planning, and economic development, the airport, water, transportation, and a number of other departments. We provide the oversight to make sure that the County is functioning properly and serving citizens. We meet once a month and committees meet once a month as well. Most of us put in many hours speaking with constituents and attending community functions in addition to those meetings. My district, the 21st, covers NOTA, Beechwood, Homestead Heights, Triangle, and parts of North Winton Village, as well as East Avenue.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to get involved in local politics or run for office someday? 

Get involved in your local democratic or republican committee. That’s the ground floor where you get to see how politics works. You can meet candidates, choose candidates, volunteer on campaigns, and see how the sausage is made.