Brent Sheldon (left) and Tim smeal

JAMESTOWN – For the first time in a dozen years the Jamestown City Council will be controlled by the Republican Party.

On Monday, the Chautauqua County Board of Elections counted absentee and affidavit ballots for several close races from the Nov. 5 elections, including the Ward 1 Jamestown city Council Race.

On Election night incumbent Brent Sheldon (R) had a slim, seven-vote lead over Democratic challenger Tim Smeal with 70 absentees to be counted.  After the absentee vote took place Monday afternoon, it was determined that Sheldon would hold his seat on the council, besting Smeal by a total 19 votes.

With  Sheldon’s victory, the Republican Party now has a 5-4 majority over the Democratic Party. The other Republicans on the council will be ranking councilman Tony Dolce (Ward 2), long-time councilwoman Kim Ecklund (At Large) and newcomers Jeff Russell (At Large) and Grant Olson (Ward 5).

Democrats on the city council will be current council president Marie Carrubba (Ward 4) along with council members Victoria James (Ward 3), Tom Nelson (Ward 6) and Tamu Graham-Reinhardt (At Large).

Jamestown City Councilman Tony Dolce (R-Ward 2)

Given his seniority and his recent history of serving as president pro tempore whenever the current council president is absent from meetings, it’s likely Dolce will become council president on January 1.  One of the main duties of the council president is appointing chairs to the four city council committees, as well as presiding over both work sessions and monthly voting sessions.

On Nov. 5, local attorney and Democrat Eddie Sundquist was elected mayor with 49.5% of the total votes cast. Sundquist will now have to work with a Republican-controlled city council in order to achieve any of his objectives and priorities as mayor, in addition to getting any appointments to various boards and agencies approved by a majority of the council members.

According to Dolce, the city council Republicans will caucus after the Thanksgiving holiday to determine who will be nominated as council president, along with who will be serving as chairs of the various city council committees.

Democrat Eddie Sundquist addresses his supporters on Election Night 2019 after learning he will be the next mayor of Jamestown.

JAMESTOWN – Jamestown’s next mayor will be Democrat and local attorney Eddie Sundquist. Sundquist was announced the winner of the 2019 mayoral election Tuesday night, defeating both Republican and Chautauqua County legislator David Wilfong and Libertarian and current Jamestown City Councilman Andy Liuzzo.

Sundquist took 49.8% of the unofficial vote total, bringing in 2519 votes, while Wilfong came in second with 1959 votes, which was 38.7% of the vote. Meanwhile, Liuzzo came in a distant third with 11.4% of the vote (574 votes). Approximately 204 absentee ballots remain to be counted.

Following the victory announcement at Democratic Headquarters inside the Jamestown Brewing Company, Sundquist thanked those who helped to make him mayor elect.

“We fought long and hard, starting way back in the winter months. I can tell you that I am probably the proudest that I have ever been to see all of you here gathered to support what we are going to do for the future of the city of Jamestown,” Sundquist said. “I just want to say from the bottom of my heart ‘thank you’ to each and every single one of you who made this happen. Family, friends, volunteers, countless hours on the phone, knocking on doors, on social media – we could not have brought the city of Jamestown into the future without each and everyone of you. So for that, I thank you.”

Sundquist also said that in the coming weeks he will be working to prepare for the transition into the mayors office when he replaces current Mayor Sam Teresi, who decided not to run for a sixth consecutive term, on January 1, 2020.

“We have a long road ahead but we are going to do this and hopefully, we get through these four years and then work four more,” Sundquist said.

It was Sundquist’s second run for office in as many years. In 2018 he made an unsuccessful bid for Congress, failing to get the Democratic Party’s endorsement in that year’s primary.

CONTROL OF CITY COUNCIL TO BE DECIDED BY ABSENTEE BALLOT COUNT

While Sundquist was able to win the Mayor’s office, it’s not yet known if he will be working with a Democratic or Republican-controlled Jamestown City Council. That’s because the council is split with four Republicans winning and four Democrats also winning, with the ninth and deciding race still too close to call.

Brent Sheldon (left) and Tim smeal

In Ward 1, Republican incumbent Brent Sheldon (355 votes) leads Democratic Challenger Tim Smeal (348 votes) by just 7 votes. The outcome of that race won’t be known until absentee ballots are counted and according to the Board of Elections, 70 absentee ballots are left to be counted on Monday, Nov. 18.

City Democratic Chairman Jim Walton said he and the rest of the party are anxiously awaiting the results for the Ward 1 race.

“It looks like the fight for control of the council will come down to absentee ballots because we’re within several votes there. That Ward has always lived and died by the absentees that have come out of the Aldren Avenue area,” Walton said. “We’ll look forward to counting those and hopefully Tim Smeal did his work there and we’ll come out victorious. That will be the difference in who controls the city council.”

OLSON, RUSSELL WIN FIRST TERM ON CITY COUNCIL

Meanwhile, one of the ward races featured a challenger defeating an incumbent. In Ward 5, Republican Grant Olson (495 votes) was able to defeat Democratic incumbent Maria Jones (397 votes). Jones was first elected to the city council in 2011 and since then she’s served as chair of the council’s Public Safety Committee and has also served on the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities.

In the only other contested ward race, Democrat and current City Council president Marie Carrubba (630 votes) defeated Republican challenger Brittnay Spry (576 votes).

In the race for the council’s three at large seats, it was newcomer Republican Jeffrey Russell (2483 votes) joining fellow Republican and incumbent Kim Ecklund (2721 votes), along with Democratic incumbent Tamu Graham-Reinhardt (2173 votes) winning.

Those failing to get enough votes to be elected to the at large seats were Democrats Greg Rabb (2026 votes) and Taylor Scott (1985 votes) along with libertarian Raven Mason Thompson (293 votes).  Republican Greg Lindquist, who withdrew from the race earlier this year, also appeared on the ballot and was able to garner 1966 votes.

Winners of the 2019 contested Jamestown City Council races on election night (from left to right): Marie Carrubba (D-Ward 4), Grant Olson (R-Ward 5), Kim Ecklund (R-At Large), Jeffrey Russell (R-At Large), and Tamu Graham Reinhardt (D-At Large)

Candidates running unopposed this year were Tom Nelson (D) in Ward 6, Vickye James (D) in Ward 3, and Tony Dolce (R) in Ward 2 – although another person, Democrat Thomas Vitale, also appeared on the ballot for that office. However, Vitale had announced his withdrawal from the race earlier in the year.

Locally there are plenty of contested races on the ballot that will likely result in a better-than-average voters turnout for a local election year.

Highlighting the election this year is the race to fill the vacant 57th district state senate seat that opened up after former long-time Senator Cathy Young resigned from her post in March in order to take a job with Cornell University. Running to fill the remaining year of the Senate term is Republican and current Chautauqua County Executive George Borrello and Democrat and recent Cornell graduate Austin Morgan of Cattaraugus county.

• LISTEN: LOWV MEET THE SENATE CANDIDATES FORUM

In Jamestown three individuals are running to fill the open mayoral seat after current mayor Sam Teresi announced in February he would not be seeking a sixth term in office. Candidates in this year’s mayoral race Libertarian and Current City Councilman Andrew Liuzzo, Democrat and local attorney Eddie Sundquist, and Republican and current county legislator David Wilfong.

• WATCH: WRFA, WJTN, WNY NEWS NOW MAYORAL DEBATE

In addition to the mayor’s race, there’s also contested races for the Jamestown City Council’s three at large seats as well as for Wards 1, 4, and 5. Candidates include:

CITY COUNCIL WARD 1
– Brent Sheldon (R, C, I)
– Tim Smeal (D, WF, Libertarian)
CITY COUNCIL WARD 4
– Marie Carrubba (D, I, WF)
– Brittnay Spry (R, C, Libertarian)
CITY COUNCIL WARD 5
– Maria Jones (D)
– Grant Olson (R)
CITY COUNCIL AT LARGE (3 Seats)
– Kimberly Ecklund (R, C, I)
– Tamu Graham-Reinhardt (D, I, WF)
– Raven Mason Thompson (Libertarian)
– Gregory Rabb (D, I, WF)
– Jeffrey Russell (R, C)
– Taylor Scott (D, WF)

• WATCH/LISTEN: WRFA MEET THE COUNCIL CANDIDATES FORUM

Other races of interest include the race for Busti Town Supervisor, where Republican Jesse Robbins is being challenged by Democrat Rudy Mueller. Over in the Chautauqua County Legislature, only 7 of the panel’s 19 seats feature contested races.

EARLY VOTING YIELDS 5% VOTER TURNOUT IN COUNTY

According to the Chautauqua county Board of Elections, there is a total of 76,762 active registered voters in the county this year. Early voting was underway from Oct. 26 through Nov. 3 and according to election officials, nearly 5% of all active voters cast ballots during that name. That made Chautauqua county the third highest per-capita early voting county in the state, with only Ulster and Columbia counties seeing a higher percentage.

Commissioners Norm Green and Brian Abram are attributing the heavy turnout to the mayors races in Jamestown, Dunkirk and Fredonia, the town supervisors races in Pomfret and Busti, and the special election for New York State Senate.

As for the regular voting hours for on Tuesday, Polls will be open 6 .m. to 9 p.m. All county poll sites will be open.  Any New York State citizen at least age 18 at the date of the General Election who previously registered is eligible to vote.

For more information on where to vote, to view a sample ballot, or to see the results after 9 tonight, visit VoteChautauqua.com.

JAMESTOWN – Jamestown voters had the opportunity to hear from a dozen different Jamestown City Council candidates during a special Meet the Candidates Forum, presented by WRFA Radio and taking place on Thursday night, Oct. 24 at Reg Lenna Center for the Arts’ Media Arts Studio.

The forum is part of WRFA’s new Community Matters LIVE public affairs programming series. It will feature the 12 city council candidates who are involved in contested races. They include the six candidates for City Council At Large – Kimberly Ecklund (R, C, I), Tamu Graham-Reinhardt (D, I, WF), Raven Mason Thompson (Libertarian), Gregory Rabb (D, I, WF), Jeffrey Russell (R, C), and Taylor Scott (D, WF); And the two candidates for each of the contested Ward 1, Ward 4 and Ward 5 races – Brent Sheldon (R, C, I) and Tim Smeal (D, WF, Libertarian); Marie Carrubba (D, I, WF) and Brittnay Spry (R, C, Libertarian); and Maria Jones (D) and Grant Olson (R).

AT LARGE CANDIDATES

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

2019 Jamestown Mayoral Candidate Eddie Sundquist addresses the crowd during a March 8 campaign rally in Jamestown.

JAMESTOWN – The Democrat who wants to be the next Mayor of Jamestown held a campaign kickoff rally Friday in downtown Jamestown and was joined by dozens of supporters along with other Democratic candidates for local office.

Jamestown attorney and mayoral candidate Eddie Sundquist appeared at the DoubleTree by Hilton early Friday night to officially accept the Jamestown Democratic Committee’s endorsement for the 2019 General Election and also lay out his campaign platform.

Sundquist said he wants to tap into what made Jamestown great in the past to help it move forward in the future.

“As mayor it is my goal to build on our city’s strong foundation and grow our future as we move Jamestown forward. Jamestown is an incredible city built on a proud heritage of immigrants and union workers. We’re a city with grit, unyielding resilience, and incredible potential. But like most cities across New York, we are not without our challenges,” Sundquist said.

• WATCH THE FULL SUNDQUIST SPEECH ON FACEBOOK
• RELATED: EDDIE SUNDQUIST ON WRFA’S COMMUNITY MATTERS (Feb. 28, 2019)

One of the main planks of the Sundquist vision is growing the economy and he said to do that the city must take advantage of 21st century opportunities.

“Who says that we can’t become a technology hub attracting businesses around the country with our low cost of living and rich resources? Who says we can’t wire broadband and fiber to every home and business in this city at a lower cost? Who says we can’t have some of the best parks in Western New York? Together we are creating a city with a vision,” Sundquist said.

And Sundquist said that while attracting new opportunities is important, he said it’s just as important to focus on neighborhood and community revitalization.

“No matter where you live in this city you should feel safe when sitting on your front porch at night. We must have strong, safe, and supportive neighborhoods across our city,” Sundquist said. “We need to deal head-on with the growing addiction crisis and focus on fixing our homes across this area. As we start to tear down, we must also focus on rebuilding and getting people to stay in Jamestown. Proud home ownership, not run down rentals, is the vision we have for our neighborhoods.”

Sundquist added that his goal as mayor would be to build on collaborations within the city between residents and businesses, along with other stakeholders, in order to maximize potential opportunities.

Sundquist, who has not held public office before, has had past campaign experience. In the 2018 Election he ran an unsuccessful campaign when he was among a field of five hopefuls in the bid for the Democratic nomination for Congress (which instead went to Tracy Mitrano and who eventually lost to incumbent Republican Tom Reed). It was Sunduist’s first attempt at running for public office.

In addition to thanking Democrats for their support, Sundquist also announced he has received the endorsement of the Working Families Party in the city, ensuring he will have at least two lines on the November ballot.

Last month Mayor Sam Teresi (D) announced he wasn’t going to seek a sixth term in office, which opened the door for Sundquist.

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.

Also during the rally, several other Democratic candidates for other city offices also spoke to those in attendance, including newcomers who used the event as an opportunity to introduce themselves.  They included at Jamestown City Council Large Candidate Taylor Scott, Ward 1 candidate Tim Smeal, and Ward 2 candidate Tom Vitale. Also on hand were incumbent councilmembers Vickye James of Ward 3, Tom Nelson of Ward 6, and Tamu Graham Reinhardt for council at large.

Former council president Greg Rabb, who was not reelected in 2017, is also seeking to be reelected to the council for the third at large seat.
Both Democratic incumbents Marie Carrubba of Ward 4 and Maria Jones of Ward 5 were unable to attend due to prior commitments.

Under state law, any candidate seeking office and who wants to have their name appear on the November ballot must collect signatures equaling at least 5 percent of the number of active enrolled voters in the political party they want to run under.

Because the primary day for local elections was recently pushed up from September to June, candidates seeking local office are now on an earlier schedule and will begin circulating petitions starting Feb. 26, rather than later in the year during the Spring.

This year New York officially recognizes eight political parties: the Conservative, Democratic, Green, Independence, Libertarian, Republican, SAM, and Working Families parties. Candidates also have the rarely used option of creating their own political party to run under but must first wait until the petition period has ended for the recognized parties before embarking on the challenging task of creating their own political party designation.

Locally it appears all candidates who’ve already announced their intention to run for office will run as either a Republican or Democrat, with the option of seeking a cross-endorsement from an eligible third-party.

Candidates for Mayor

Eddie Sundquist

In Jamestown, current mayor Sam Teresi (D) announced at the start of February he would not be seeking a sixth term in office.

Currently, there are three known mayoral candidates running for the open seat who will be circulating petitions to get their name on the ballot for either the Republican or Democratic parties.

For the Democrats, Attorney Eddie Sundquist is the Jamestown Democratic Committee’s endorsed candidate for mayor and it appears he is the only person seeking the party’s nomination.

David Wilfong and Andrew Liuzzo

On the Republican side, two individuals will be circulating petitions. They are county legislator David Wilfong, who is also the Jamestown Republican Committee’s endorsed candidate, along with city councilman at large Andrew Liuzzo, who is running despite not getting the committee’s backing.

If both Liuzzo and Wilfong collect the required number of signatures from registered Republicans living within the city, then a Republican party primary for mayor will take place in June. As of Feb. 1, 2019, there were a reported 3782 registered Republicans in the city. That means the minimum number of signatures needed to qualify as a mayoral candidate for that party is 190.

Candidates for City Council

In addition to the mayoral candidates, there will also be city residents running as candidates for the Jamestown City Council who will begin circulating petitions on Tuesday.

The GOP committee endorsed candidates include incumbents Brent Sheldon (Ward 1), Tony Dolce (Ward 2) and Kim Eckund (At Large). Other Republican committee-endorsed candidates for city council include Brittnay Spry, (Ward 4), Grant Olson (Ward 5), Greg Lindquist (at large) and Jeffrey Russell (at Large).

In addition to the GOP committee endorsed candidates, WRFA has learned that city resident Raven Mason is also running for Ward 2 council seat and if she is able to collect enough signatures she will force a primary with Dolce. There are 575 registered Republicans in Ward 2, meaning both Dolce and Mason will have to collect 29 signatures apiece in order to qualify as a candidate for that party and force a June primary.

Meanwhile on the Democratic Side, there is a full slate of endorsed candidates for city council. They include incumbents Marie Carrubba (Ward 4 and current council president), Vickye James (Ward 3), Maria Jones (Ward 5), Tom Nelson (Ward 6), and Tamu Graham-Reinhardt (At-Large).

In addition, the committee is endorsing past council member and city council president Greg Rabb,who is again running as an at-large candidate after being defeated in 2017. The Democrats other at large candidate will be newcomer Taylor Scott. Rounding out the slate of candidates for city council will be newcomer Tim Smeal (Ward 1) along with Tom Vitale (Ward 2).

All candidates have until April 4 to collect the required signatures and return the petitions to the county board of elections, which will certify the petitions. That includes making sure voters did not sign a petition for more candidates than there are openings for an office. For example, if there is one council seat open, then the eligible party members signing a petition may only sign one petition for a candidate for that office. If there are three seats open (as is the case with the city council at large seats), the eligible party members may sign petitions for up to three candidates.

Eddie Sundquist

JAMESTOWN – Democratic officials in Jamestown have selected their candidate for mayor.

On Thursday night the Jamestown Democratic Committee voted to endorse local attorney and 2018 Democratic congressional candidate Eddie Sundquist for Mayor in the 2019 local election.

The move comes after current mayor and Democrat Sam Teresi announced earlier this month he would not be seeking a sixth consecutive term in office.

In a media release sent out Thursday, city Democratic chair Jim Walton said party officials are excited to endorse Sundquist because of his commitment to Jamestown and its citizens.

Born and raised in Jamestown, Sundquist is a graduate of Jamestown High School and is the first in his family to graduate college, having earned a political science degree at St. John Fisher College. He then earned his Masters of Science in Education at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education, and received his law degree from the University of Buffalo School of Law. His law practice currently focuses on helping injured workers and grieving families. His first foray into running for public office was in the 2018 race for the New York 23rd Congressional District. In that race he finished fifth out of five candidates in the Democratic Party June primary.

Sundquist is the third person to throw his hat into the ring for the mayoral race.  At the start of the month Republican City Councilman Andrew Liuzzo announced his intention to run and earlier this week the city Republican Committee endorsed County Legislator David Wilfong as its choice. That means if both Liuzzo and Wilfong get the required number signatures from registered party voters there will be a primary in June to determine which of those two will advance to the November General Election.

DEMS PRESENT FULL SLATE OF CANDIDATES FOR CITY COUNCIL

Meanwhile, the Jamestown Democratic Committee also endorsed several others for city offices, including current City Council members Marie Carrubba (Ward IV and current council president), Vickye James (Ward III), Maria Jones (Ward V), Tom Nelson (Ward VI), and Tamu Graham-Reinhardt (At-Large).

In addition, the committee is endorsing past council member and city council president Greg Rabb – who served on the council for 10 years before not winning reelection for an at large seat in the 2017 general election. Rabb still remains active in city government as the chair of both the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities and the Jamestown Planning Commission. He was appointed to both as a citizen member by Mayor Teresi at the start of 2018. Rabb is again running as an at-large candidate in 2019.

The Democrats other at large candidate will be newcomer Taylor Scott.

Rounding out the slate of candidates for city council will be newcomer Tim Smeal running in Ward I (a seat currently held by Republican Brent Sheldon) along with Tom Vitale running in Ward II (a seat currently held by Republican Tony Dolce).

Joining the Jamestown team are endorsed county legislator incumbent Chuck Nazzaro (District 9) and candidate Bob Whitney for District 11 – which is currently held by Republican mayoral candidate David Wilfong.

A rally is being planned to formally announce Sundquist and other endorsed Democrats on Thursday February 28 at 4 p.m. at the Chadakoin River scenic overlook on the Jamestown River Walk (across from McCrea Point).

The JLDC board during its Aug. 28, 2018 meeting.

JAMESTOWN – Local venues and promoters will have a new pool of funding to apply for when it comes to paying for events and activities that will draw people into Downtown Jamestown.

On Tuesday the Jamestown Local Development Corporation (JLDC) board of directors met and learned that $600,000 from a newly created Special Event Grant fund will be available for future downtown programming, starting next month.

The JLDC will be responsible for administering the Downtown Programming Fund and fielding applications, with the funding coming out of the $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant the city was awarded in 2016.

According to city development director and JLDC executive director Vince DeJoy, applicants will be able to apply for up to $75,000 in funding to help cover costs associated with their event, with a $50,000 limit on a grant award and a $25,000 limit on a low interest loan to cover upfront costs for the event.

The JLDC board is responsible for signing off on any grant awards, with final review and approval coming from the state. A special grant advisory committee comprising of two JLDC board members (Tim Smeal and John Whittaker), four residents of Jamestown appointed by the mayor, and DeJoy will review applicants and make recommendations to the full JLDC boad.

City officials say the state wants to see the grant pool used up within two years. The application process will be rolling, meaning there is no time frame for when eligible applicants can apply for the money.

The city will be meeting with downtown attractions and venues in the coming weeks to provide more details on the grant, but anyone wishing to organize an event downtown is welcome to apply for funding, so long as the proposed event meets certain eligibility criteria.

More details on the grant and process for applying can be found here, and will also be made available on the JLDC page of the city website – JamestownNY.net – by the end of this week.

Jamestown city councilman Andrew Liuzzo (left) shares his thoughts and concerns regarding recent amendments to the bylaws of the Jamestown Local Development Corporation during the council’s Feb. 12 work session. The bylaw amendments included a transfer of the power of appointment for three of the nine JLDC board seats. During the meeting the council learned it did not have the ability to amend any of the JLDC bylaws.

JAMESTOWN – The Jamestown City Council has received an update on the question of whether or not it would be able to make changes to the bylaws of the Jamestown Local Development Corporation (JLDC).

On Monday night City Attorney Marilyn Fiore-Lehman and City Clerk Todd Thomas explained why changes were made to the JLDC bylaws late last year without needing approval by the City Council.

Under the JLDC’s original bylaws, it stated that any amendments approved by the JLDC board of directors must also be approved by the full city council before going into effect.  However, the JLDC approved its new bylaws at the end of November 2017 and they immediately went into effect, without approval of the city council.

• Original 1981 JLDC Bylaws [PDF]
• Updated 2017 JLDC Bylaws [PDF]

Fiore-Lehman explained that because the city council had signed off on a new Certificate of Incorporation earlier in 2017, it meant that the JLDC could unilaterally change its bylaws without needing final approval from the city council.

“With the adoption of the certificate of incorporation which was approved by the State of New York, it essentially eliminated the need for the council to approve any further changes or amendments to the JLDC bylaws,” Fiore-Lehman said.

The issue of the bylaws being changed without council approval became a concern earlier this year with new council member Andrew Liuzzo (R-At Large), who noted that among those JLDC bylaw changes was a rule that shifts the power of appointment for three JLDC board seats from the organizations they represent over to the mayor, when the president of any of those respective organizations is unable to serve.

Liuzzo said he felt the changes gave the mayor too much power in deciding the makeup of the JLDC board and asked if it was possible for the city council to act on amending that section of the bylaws back to how it was originally written.  Under the revised bylaws, Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi was able to appoint Jamestown Community College director of development Tim Smeal to represent the Manufacturer’s Association of the Southern Tier (MAST) on the JLDC board, rather than go with MAST’s selection of John Zabrodsky.

Last week Jamestown Mayor Teresi asked both Fiore-Lehman and Thomas to research the matter.

“What came out [of the research] is that the city council has never had the authority to change the [JLDC] bylaws,” Thomas explained. “Previously under the older documents there was the possibility of approval for changes that originated with the corporation, but it is a separate not-for-profit corporation akin to the Humane Society, or Infinity, or anything else. It’s just that the genesis [of the JLDC] came out of the city.”

• READ FULL FINDINGS LETTER [PDF]

Following Thomas’s explanation, Liuzzo then asked if it was possible for any of the three city council members who serve on the JLDC board to bring a resolution forward at the next JLDC meeting so it can at least be voted on.

“I’m just saying that we have an opportunity to make things right,” Liuzzo said. “Not everything we do is correct. Sometimes we make mistakes and sometimes we just need to look at it and say, ‘maybe we should change this and make things right.'”

The three council members that currently serve on the JLDC board are council president Marie Carrubba (D-Ward 4) and finance committee chair Tony Dolce (R-Ward 2) who each serve due to their respective roles on the city council. In addition, councilwoman Kim Ekclund (R-At Large) also serves as a city council appointee of the mayor.  All three appeared to be in support of the bylaw changes and as a result it’s unlikely they would bring the requested amendment resolution to the JLDC board.

The JLDC is a not-for-profit corporation created by the Jamestown City Council in April 1981 which serves as the lending agency of the City of Jamestown’s Department of Development. Recently it has been proposed that the JLDC serve as the purchasing agent of the city’s wastewater treatment plant by borrowing money to make the purchase and then using rates from the Board of Public Utilities Wastewater division to pay back the loan. The plan could generate as much as $16 million and serve as a capitol fund to address various city needs, including infrastructure, equipment and vehicles, and property tax stabilization.