April 7, 2017—Olean--In response to the frequent inquiries I have received I would like to address the question of whether I will be seeking a second term as Olean’s Mayor. After having discussed it with my family and receiving both appreciative and supportive comments, I am proud and honored to formally announce that I will be running for re-election as Mayor of the City of Olean.
Over the course of my first term I have witnessed first-hand how hard our City employees work to provide services to all residents of our City. I have also had the opportunity to both work with and receive advice from the Common Council, particularly throughout this year’s budget process. I echo the Council’s concern for the economic viability of our City and together we have crafted a proactive plan to ensure the continued vitality of this city and place we all call home. Given the current climate in New York State where small cities like Olean continually face the challenge of balancing rising operating costs with decreased revenue and a diminishing tax base, we must continue to explore and exploit ways to preserve Olean’s future. If I am afforded the great privilege of being re-elected, I intend to call for the re-establishment of a City Charter Commission to examine how we can best prepare this City for its future in the 21st century.
Of particular emphasis, I would ask that this commission explore the viability of transforming our City government into one which adopts the City Manager format and to redistrict the wards in our City to reflect our shifting and changing population. This has been suggested to me frequently during my tenure as Mayor. Ultimately these decisions will be made by the voters of the City of Olean.
I will provide more details on this exciting opportunity to prepare Olean for the future as well as other tenets of my campaign as we move forward in the coming months.
