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Live from the Reg Lenna’s Media Arts Studios, a 90-minute debate featuring the three candidates for Mayor of Jamestown in the 2019 General Election: Andrew Liuzzo (Libertarian), Eddie Sundquist (Democrat, Independence, Working Families), and David Wilfong (Republican, Conservative).

The debate was a collaboration between several media outlets. It was moderated by WRFA’s Jason Sample and involved questions from Terry Frank (Media One Radio / WJTN), Justin Gould (WNY News Now), and Sample.

Andrew Liuzzo

JAMESTOWN – The Jamestown city councilman who was unable to secure the Republican party’s nomination as a candidate for mayor in June may still appear on the November election ballot.

Members of the Chautauqua County Libertarian Party held their monthly meeting last week in Bemus Point and nominated several additional local candidates for the 2019 general election.

Among those who were chosen was Andrew Liuzzo for mayor of Jamestown. Liuzzo, who is currently a first-term city councilman at large, lost to Chautauqua County legislator David Wilfong in the Republican party primary last month.

While campaigning as a Republican candidate for mayor, Liuzzo had said that he would not be seeking any other party’s endorsement because he didn’t want to split the Republican ticket in November.

“I will not seek or accept another party line nor will I pursue an independent line. If I am not your choice I will not risk splitting the vote to let the opposition party win,” Liuzzo wrote on his Facebook page on May 4.

However, following the Libertarian party’s announced nomination, Liuzzo said he would have to consider the endorsement.

“I’m grateful for the endorsement from the Libertarian party and thankful for the support I’ve received since they made their announcement. I will take the next couple of days to discuss it with my family before I make a decision,” Liuzzo wrote on his Facebook page on July 13.

As of Monday morning he has not yet announced if he planned to accept the nomination.

In addition to Wilfong, the other mayoral candidate is Jamestown attorney Eddie Sundquist. Wilfong is also running under the Conservative party line n the ballot, while Sundquist is running under the Working Families and Independence lines on the ballot.

Current Mayor Sam Teresi, a Democrat, had announced in February he wouldn’t be seeking a sixth term in office.

Raven Mason Thompson

In addition to choosing Liuzzo as its candidate for Jamestown Mayor, the Libertarian party is also selecting Raven Mason Thompson as its only candidate for Jamestown City Council At Large. Mason Thompson had ran against Tony Dolce in the June Republican Primary for City Council Ward 2 – but was defeated.

The Libertarian party is also endorsing Dolce for Ward 2, along with Brittnay Spry for Ward 4. Both those two are also the endorsed Republican candidates for those respective offices.

Other Libertarian Party endorsements that came out of last week’s meeting include:

• Rudy Mueller for Busti Town Supervisor,
• Russell Payne for Carroll Town Supervisor,
• Dennis Welka for Dunkirk City Council Ward 1,
• Daniel Heitzenrater for Ellicott Town Council Ward 4,
• Susan Baldwin for Villenova Town Council,
• John Dudley Robinson for Villenova Town Council,
• Ron Hall for Chautauqua County Legislator District 1,
• Christopher Schaeffer for Chautauqua County Legislator District 3,
• Terry Niebel for Chautauqua County Legislator District 5,
• and Bill Ward for Chautauqua County Legislator District 18.

Previous the party had already nominated Gerrit Cain for Chautauqua County Legislator District 16 and Ryan Sanders for Sherman Village Trustee. Other potential candidates will be voted upon in August.

The local Libertarian party has a deadline of Sept. 1 to announce its candidates for the November election instead of having an April deadline like other established parties. That’s because the Libertarian is a “start-up party” and is given more time to select candidates after receiving at least 50,000 votes during last year’s gubernatorial election.

A reason for the turnout was due in part to several high-profile Republican Party primaries for local office, along with the primary for the state seat vacated by Cathy Young.

In Chautauqua County, the primary election that saw the best turnout was in the Town of Carroll, where 37 percent of all registered Republicans came out to vote in the primary for Town Supervisor. Russell Payne ended up being the winner in that race.

Three Republican primaries saw turnouts of 26 percent. They were the race for Jamestown City Council Ward 2, the race for Kiantone Town Supervisor, and the Race for Chautauqua County Legislature District 18. The respective winners for those races were Tony Dolce, Joshua Ostrander, and Bill Ward.

The Jamestown Mayoral Republican Primary saw a turnout of 21 percent. David Wilfong was the winner.

And the turnout for the 57th senate district republican primary saw a turnout of 19 percent across the district, as well as 19 percent in Chautauqua county. George Borrello won that race.

The county Board of Elections will count absentee/affidavit results next Tuesday and certify all primary elections.

The only race it appears that could be impacted by an absentee/affidavit vote is the Independence Party primary in the town of Carroll for town clerk. Currently Susan Rowley leads the Independence Party primary over incumbent Tenneil Stelmack by a 20 to 19 vote. However, one absentee ballot was received for the primary.

Andrew Liuzzo (Left) and David Wilfong

JAMESTOWN – The Republican Primary for Jamestown mayor will take place next Tuesday, June 25 and is open to all registered Republican voters living in the city.

Both Jamestown City councilman Andrew Liuzzo and County Legislator David Wilfong are seeking the party’s endorsement and have spent the past couple months sharing their views with residents and explaining why they should be the next mayor of Jamestown. Last week both candidates were on WRFA’s Community Matters program and we asked them how they would address the city’s financial challenges if elected.

For the past three years city government has had to rely on supplemental funding from Albany to help close its budget gap. Most agree this funding won’t continue over an extended period of time, meaning the next leader of Jamestown will have to find other ways to balance the city’s books. That’s especially true if a state appellate court upholds an arbitration ruling with the police union that will retroactively increase their salaries by 2 percent, going back to the start of 2016.

Wilfong said that no matter who’s elected or what the next mayor plans to do, it’s unlikely much can be done to get the city out of a financial hole without the state will having to step in to help fix things.

“If the arbitration for the police department does come true, it’s going to put us in a huge financial burden and I believe you’ll probably see some type of control board come to the city of Jamestown. Whether that’s good or bad – I’m sure there’s both sides to that argument – but I embrace that. I think that sooner or later we are going to have to step up and take a look at what we’ve been spending our money on and how we’ve been spending our money. So as the mayor, I’m going to do the best I possibly can to work us through the situation. I think it’s going to get worse before it gets better and I bet you I’m the only candidate who says that,” Wilfong said.

It is worth noting that the state has already done an investigation of the city’s finances via an audit from the State Comptrollers office, released in September 2016. The audit didn’t find any glaring discrepancies or impropriety when it comes to spending, but did indicate city officials adopted budgets that were not structurally balanced, nor did the city have a multiyear financial plan in place. It also said the city did not properly budget for health care expenditures. However, the audit did not see the need for state intervention at the time of its release.

• READ THE 2016 STATE COMPTROLLERS AUDIT ON JAMESTOWN

Meanwhile, Liuzzo agrees that the city is in serious financial jeopardy. But he adds that if he’s elected to be the next mayor, he will work to grow the tax base to help bring in additional revenue for city government. He said that would include developing programs that encourage local entrepreneurship and business development from those who are already living within the city.

“We have good carpenters, good plumbers, good electricians. We have tradesman. And we still have the natural resources that helped to put Jamestown on the map to begin with,” Liuzzo said. “These are where we should be looking, from within, to expand our tax base, bring new jobs, and make our manufacturing home grown manufacturing.”

Liuzzo also noted that because the city is on such unsteady financial ground, he wouldn’t be opposed to seeing a tax cut to offer relief to homeowners and business.

“I want you to have skin in the game in what we’re doing. I think we need to be better neighbors. We need better neighborhoods, better gateway entries, and lowering the taxes for people that want to come hear. No tax break, just lowering the taxes. We can’t pay our bills anyways. What’s so difficult about giving the citizens of Jamestown a 2 percent tax cut? We can’t pay our bills anyway the way we are going, what difference does it make. Take the 2 percent,” Liuzzo said, later adding, “If I can [cut taxes] I will. If we’re so out of sync with paying our bills with the taxes that we can’t collect anymore anyways, you know what Jamestown? Let’s just save a couple dollars before the inevitable happens.”

This year’s mayoral election is an important one for the city, not only because of the financial challenges that have been gripping the city and will continue to likely do so for the next several years, but also because the current mayor – Sam Teresi (D)- has opted not to seek a fifth consecutive term in office. That means the city will have new leadership in January 2020 for the first time in 20 years.

The winner of the Republican primary will move on to face Democratic candidate Eddie Sundquist in November.

JAMESTOWN – The deadline has arrived and election petitions have been submitted to the Chautauqua County Board of Elections with a total of 17 individuals running for Jamestown City Council in addition to the three who’ve announced their intention to run for mayor.

LIUZZO, SUNDQUIST, WILFONG RUNNING FOR MAYOR

According to information posted at the Chautauqua County Board of Elections website, Republican candidates Andrew Liuzzo and David Wilfong both submitted enough signatures to qualify as a candidate for mayor. As a result, a Republican Primary will take place on June 25.

Liuzzo is currently in his second year on the City Council while Wilfong is in his sixth year on the Chautauqua County Legislature.

Besides getting enough signatures for the Republican Party, Wilfong is also the only candidate to receive endorsement of the conservative party, meaning that even if he were to lose the June Primary election, he could still run as a third-party candidate in November.

Meanwhile local attorney Eddie Sundquist is the only candidate to submit petitions for the Democratic party, along with both the Independence and the Working Families parties.

With current Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi saying in February he would not seek a sixth consecutive term, the 2019 race for mayor will mark the first time the seat has been open in seven decades.

17 CANDIDATES SUBMIT PETITIONS FOR CITY COUNCIL SEATS

Over on the City Council, there will be six different candidates vying for the three at-large seats. In addition, four of the six ward seats will also be contested – including one that will see a Republican Party primary take place. 

In the city’s Second Ward, long-time incumbent and Republican Tony Dolce is being challenged by newcomer Raven Thompson (AKA Raven Mason) for the Republican nomination. As a result the two will square off in the June 25 primary. The winner of that primary will advance to take on Democratic Challenger Thomas Vitale. However, because Dolce has also been endorsed by the Conservative and Independence parties, he would still have a spot on the ballot even if he were to lose the Republican primary.

Meanwhile, the council’s At Large candidates include incumbents Kimberly Ecklund and Tamu Graham-Reinhardt. Ekclund is endorsed by the Republican, Conservative and Independence parties while Graham-Reinhardt received backing from the Democratic, Independence, and Working Families parties. The other four at-large candidates are former councilman and council president Gregory Rabb (Democratic, Independence, and Working Families), Taylor Scott (Democrat and Working Families), Gregory Lindquist (Republican and Conservative) and Jeffrey Russell (Republican Conservative).

In the Ward 1 Race, incumbent Republican Brent Sheldon has also received the endorsement of Conservative and Independence parties. He’ll face challenger Timothy Smeal, who is running for both the Democratic and Working Families parties.

In Ward 4, Democratic incumbent and current council president Marie Carrubba also received the backing of the Independence and Working Families parties. She’ll face newcomer Brittnay Spry, who is running for the Republicans and Conservative parties.

And in Ward 5, Incumbent and Democrat Maria Jones will face Republican challenger Grant Olson.

The only two seats that are not contested are in Wards 3 and Wards 6, where Democratic incumbents Vickye James and Thomas Nelson are respectively running unopposed for reelection.

The number of candidates for the city council is the most

David Wilfong and Andrew Liuzzo

JAMESTOWN – The Republican candidates for mayor in the 2019 Election will appear at two separate events in the coming days to help raise awareness of and gain support for their campaign.

On Saturday morning, March 23, Candidate for mayor Andrew Liuzzo will host a campaign fundraiser and meet-and-greet breakfast from 9 a.m. to noon at Harvest Time Café in downtown Jamestown (108 W. Third Street in the Hotel Jamestown building).

Liuzzo is calling the event the “Better Days are Coming” campaign fundraiser, which will give Liuzzo the opportunity to meet city residents and talk about issues, as well as accept contributions toward his mayoral run. Breakfast will be provided.

Liuzzo’s campaign says that donations will be appreciated but are not necessary for those wishing to attend.

Liuzzo, who is currently serving on the Jamestown City Council (at Large), is one of two candidates seeking the Republican Party nomination for mayor in the 2019 General Election. The other Republican candidate is current Chautauqua County Legislator David Wilfong, who’s received the endorsement of the Jamestown Republican Committee. If both Liuzzo and Wilfong are able to collect enough signatures from registered Republicans in the city then they will square off in a city-wide primary on June 25.

• RELATED: WRFA Interview with mayoral candidate Andrew Liuzzo
• RELATED: WRFA Interview with mayoral candidate David Wilfong

Meanwhile, a second political event organized by the City Republican Committee is scheduled for Tuesday, March 26 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Sauce Restaurant in downtown Jamestown (306 N. Main Street).

The rally and meet-and-greet will feature Wilfong along with other endorsed Republican candidates for city council and county legislature, as well as an appearance by County Executive George Borrello, who is making a push for the recently vacated 57th State Senate District seat.

Organizers say the event is open to Jamestown Republicans, Conservatives and Libertarians in good standing, who will have an opportunity to interact and ask candidates questions. Food will be provided as well as a cash bar. Donations will be accepted at the door.

Endorsed candidates are:

• Mayor and current County Legislator David Wilfong
• Ward 1 Councilman Brent Sheldon
• Ward 2 Councilman Anthony Dolce
• Ward 4 Council candidate Brittnay Spry
• Ward 5 Council Candidate Grant Olson
• At large Councilwoman Kimberly Ecklund
• At Large Council Candidates Gregory Lindquist
• At Large Council Candidates Jeffrey Russell
• District 10 Legislator Paul “PJ” Wendell, Jr.
• District 12 County Legislator Elisabeth Rankin
• State Senate Candidate and Current County Executive George Borrello

Eddie Sundquist

JAMESTOWN – The Jamestown Attorney who plans to run for Mayor in November on the Democratic ticket will kick off his campaign during a rally Friday afternoon in downtown Jamestown.

Last month Mayor Sam Teresi (D) announced he wasn’t going to seek a sixth term in office and the Jamestown Democratic Committee tapped local attorney Eddie Sundquist as the endorsed candidate for mayor.

WRFA had Sundquist in the studio at the end of February to learn more about his campaign and why he’s seeking the top executive post in the city.

“I grew up in Jamestown. I came back here as an attorney after going off to school. I ended up wanting to come back and practice here and have been doing so. For me Jamestown is my home and I’m excited to not only be back but to bring a positive change to Jamestown. Be able to not only run for mayor but to bring decisive leadership to the table. We’ve got a strong foundation here in the city and we can really grow by bringing young professionals back, by redeveloping what we’ve got here in this area, and really focusing on partnerships and community,” Sundquist said.

Sundquist also said he’s also well aware of the challenges that come with running the city, and at the top of that list is balancing the annual budget.

“Right now we receive a lot of state aid and that’s not something that’s guaranteed. We need to make sure we are checking out what revenue streams we have and what we’re spending to make sure it works. The big challenge is going to be ‘Can it be balanced?’ and I think it can. But until we start to engage the community and the people here in trying to find creative solutions, we’re not going to be much different than we are right now,” Sundquist said.

This isn’t Sundquists first attempt at running for public office. In 2018 he made a bid for the Democratic Nomination for Congress to run against Tom Reed but came up short in the primary. But Sundquist said he learned a lot from that campaign and plans to put that toward his campaign for mayor.

Sundquist will likely be unchallenged for the Democratic nomination, which means he will be able to focus most of his attention on the November Election. The same can’t be said for the Republican party, where two individuals are vying for the party nomination and will likely square off in a June Primary. They are the Jamestown Republican Committee’s endorsed candidate – county legislator David Wilfong, along with first-term city coucilman at large Andrew Liuzzo.

Back to Sundquist, he and other Democrats running for city office are inviting the public to Friday’s rally in downtown Jamestown, which will be held at the Doubletree by Hilton hotel on 4th street starting at 5:30 p.m.

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Originally airing Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019

WRFA’s Jason Sample talks with local attorney and 2019 Jamestown Mayoral Candidate Eddie Sundquist. Sundquist has received the City Democratic Committee’s endorsement for mayor. In 2018 he was also a Democratic candidate for the New York 27th Congressional District but was defeated in the party’s June primary that year.

Eddie Sundquist

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Originally Airing Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019

WRFA’s Jason Sample talks with Chautauqua County Legislator and 2019 Jamestown Mayoral Candidate David Wilfong. Wilfong has received the City Republican Committee’s endorsement for mayor but will still likely have to run in a primary race against Jamestown City Councilman and fellow Republican Andrew Liuzzo, who’s also announced his intention to run for mayor.

David Wilfong

Eddie Sundquist

JAMESTOWN – A previously announced rally and campaign announcement for Democratic Jamestown mayoral candidate Eddie Sundquist has been rescheduled.

Sundquist says he will now kick off his mayoral campaign on Friday, March 8 at 5:30 p.m. at the new Doubletree Hotel in Jamestown.  The formal announcement and rally are open to the public and will also highlight the slate of democratic candidates running for city positions.

The announcement was originally scheduled for this afternoon at the Chadakoin River overlook along the Jamestown Riverwalk. However, due to weather concerns, the Sundquist Campaign, in conjunction with the City Democratic Committee has rescheduled the rally.

Sundquist is the city Democratic Committee’s endorsed candidate for mayor and appears to be the only individual from that party seeking the office. The endorsement came after current mayor and Democrat Sam Teresi announced he wouldn’t be seeking a sixth term in office.

Meanwhile, WRFA will feature both Sundquist and Republican Mayoral Candidate David Wilfong Thursday on our Community Matters program, begining at 5 p.m. In addition we will also feature County Executive George Borrello’s complete State of the County report.