See sample email below.

Click on your legislator’s email address above and paste into body of your email, edit, revise, personalize as appropriate. Alternatively, you may use the “Contact Us” form on the Onondaga County Legislature page and include a request that your message is “sent to all legislators.”

Subject: Urging Increased Funding for CNY Lyme & Tick-Borne Disease Alliance in 2026

Dear Legislator [Legislator’s Last Name],
I am writing to you today as a concerned resident of Onondaga County to urge your strong support for increased funding for the CNY Lyme & Tick-Borne Disease Alliance in the 2026 budget. We are deeply grateful for the County’s past commitment, which has been vital in strengthening local prevention and education efforts. However, the rapidly escalating crisis of tick-borne diseases demands a greater investment now.

The statistics are alarming: cases in Central New York increased 439% from 2008–2018, and Lyme disease alone has risen 523% in Madison, Onondaga, and Oswego Counties since 2013. Local data show steep, year-over-year increases in Lyme cases right here in Onondaga County, contributing to the statewide epidemic that now averages over 21,000 new Lyme cases annually.

The Alliance is actively meeting this challenge. Through initiatives like our annual Lyme & Tick-Borne Disease Summit and school-based programs that reached an estimated 10,000 children last year, the Alliance is central to protecting our community.

An investment in the CNY Lyme & Tick-Borne Disease Alliance is a direct investment in community protection, education, and public health. I respectfully ask that you not only maintain, but increase funding for the Alliance in 2026 so they can continue to expand their critical work to educate, prevent, and protect the residents of Onondaga County from this growing public health threat.

Thank you for your leadership and for considering this urgent matter.

Sincerely,
[Your Name] 

[Your Street Address or Town/Zip Code] 

[Your Email Address or Phone Number (Optional)]