New opportunities rarely come to 74-year-olds. But the chance of a lifetime has fallen into my lap. Mayor Mark Drnek nominated me to fill a vacancy on the Oneonta Common Council. The opening occurred when 8th Ward Council member Emily Falco resigned.
I want to take this opportunity to thank Mayor Drnek for nominating me, and the council members for voting to approve the nomination. I will be forever grateful.
As a member of the council, I promise to do my best to fulfill the duties of the office. I will study the issues, consider all of the information available, seek constituent opinions, and make my best judgements.
I believe my life experience has prepared me for this job. My values include knowing the difference between right and wrong, the importance of treating all people equally, and knowing that everyone deserves opportunities.
I also believe in working hard, never spending more money than you have, staying close to your family, knowing your neighbors, and getting involved in the community.
Political life will be new territory for me. I’ve been working as a broadcaster and reporter since 1967. That’s how I earn a living. It’s not always easy. It has never been glamorous. But I love it.
To some degree, working as a journalist has prepared me for the Common Council. I’ve attended thousands of government meetings, reported on public policy issues and interviewed local, state and national elected officials.
I’ve had contact with all levels of society ranging from homeless drug addicts to American presidents. I was standing near to the World Trade Center’s South Tower when it fell. I witnessed acts of heroism and cowardice. I’ve seen politicians in victory and defeat.
And now I’m a politician working on the inside, not a reporter observing from the outside.
So, what do I hope to accomplish?
There are the obvious goals of maintaining a safe, clean city that allows all of its residents to thrive if they put in the work, and survive if they live on the edge. The council should do what it can to increase the amount of housing affordable to all income levels. Owner-occupied homes are among the most desirable, especially for families. Home ownership encourages stable neighborhoods.
Oneonta is lacking in one popular form of housing — condominiums. I will explore ways to encourage private developers to build small-scale condo buildings. They are a popular choice for younger workers and older folks who no longer want to maintain houses, but still want ownership of the place where they live.
I will not forget renters. I am one. We need more rental units covering the full spectrum of incomes — low, middle and prosperous.
One of the most important things the council does is to approve the city’s budget and set the property tax rate. The current budget is about $28 million. Fixed costs account for most of the spending. Wages and benefits are baked in at more than 70% of expenditures.
However, in every multi-million dollar spending package there are some discretionary items. I will look closely at those costs. Almost 12% of the current budget is funded by dipping into the fund balance and reserves. That is not sustainable.
The choices are to spend less or increase revenue. I don’t believe Oneonta’s taxpayers want property taxes to rise above the state-mandated cap of about 2%.
This is my last column because I’m becoming a government official. Thank you to former editor Denielle Cazzolla for inviting me to write a column and current editor Robert Cairns for putting up with me.
Fate can be generous or unkind. Being given the opportunity to serve on the Common Council is just one of many examples where fortune has smiled on me.
I’m grateful.