NORWICH – Although there are several candidates for City of Norwich government positions on the ballot this year, most of the candidates are running unopposed, leaving only the candidates for Mayor and City Supervisor of Wards 1,2 and 3 battling for the open slots.
Tomorrow, city residents will have the chance to determine which candidates will play a role in the future of the City of Norwich. Incumbent Mayor Joseph Maiurano will run on the Republican ticket, while Michael Carnrike will challenge him on the Democratic ticket.
“I’m ready to give the people a choice, and I’m ready to go to work for them if they choose me as their next mayor,” Carnrike said. Citing the difficulties Norwich has seen in recent years, Carnrike explained that the city needs to move forward. “We’re going to have to move the city forward in any direction that we can,” he said.
If elected, Carnrike said the first thing he would like to do is look at the possible merger between the Town and City of Norwich and determine if it is beneficial for all. “The merger is a big issue, and if we’re going to go forward with it, it has to be beneficial to all, but we can’t just dismiss it immediately. We need to look at the long-term plan,” Carnrike said.
The Democratic candidate explained that the problems the city is facing today are different than the problems faced in the past, but, he said, they are not insurmountable. “We have to think new, or we’ll end up in the same state as the rest of upstate New York,” Carnrike said. “Utopia is not there unless we make it happen, and to do that we have to work together no matter who is elected,” Carnrike said.
The incumbent mayor said he is feeling good about his campaign and his tenure as the City of Norwich Mayor. “I feel we’ve done a good job. I’ve made a lot of contacts and the city is moving in the right direction,” Maiurano said. The current mayor, who was elected last November, said he took pride in the open nature of the city government. “We try to involve everybody,” Maiurano said, explaining that city residents can call the mayor directly to discuss their problems or concerns, and that his office is always open to hearing their suggestions.
“People know what I’ve done,” said Maiurano. “I hope they would vote for me to continue the work I’ve begun.” The mayor explained that in the past, the city struggled with councils that didn’t work well together and spent too much time on petty subjects, leaving other matters to fall through the cracks. “The city is now working at a positive level. We found so many things that were not getting done because in the past, because too much time was spent on petty things, but little by little we’re getting those things done,” Maiurano said. “We’re moving forward and cleaning up the city.”
Maiurano explained that during his time as mayor and his previous years as a council member, he has developed connections with state politicians on both sides of the aisle. “I’m working with people to get the job done,” Maiurano said. The mayor said that if re-elected, he plans to continue the work that has begun in the city. “I’m passionate about the job that has to be done. We’ll listen to all the suggestions to determine the best way to go,” Maiurano said.
Incumbent Norwich City Supervisor James McNeil, a Democrat, is also facing competition this year from Republican candidate Scott Sutton.
“It’s been a long campaign,” said McNeil, “and I’ve tried to hit every residence in wards one, two and three.” McNeil, a long-time public servant, said serving on the Board of Supervisors is just one of the ways he has chosen to repay his love for the community, explaining that he has also served as a Little League Coach and as a member of the Norwich Merchants Association. “This community has done a great deal for me and my family as well as my business. Serving on the Board of Supervisors is just one of the ways I’ve chosen to pay back my community,” McNeil said.
During his time as a county supervisor, McNeil explained that he has never voted himself a raise, and that he regularly attends City Council meetings to keep abreast of what is happening in the City of Norwich. If re-elected, McNeil said he hopes to stimulate growth in the city through economic development incentives and to take a close look at shared services with the surrounding municipalities.
“A big concern is the loss of the 160 jobs from Procter & Gamble and another 40 jobs that support the facility. To solve that, my idea is to not replace all 160 jobs in one swoop, but to investigate the possibility of start-up businesses that employ five to 10 people each,” McNeil said. He explained that if the county could find several start-up businesses, the loss of any one of those would not have as big of an effect as the loss of one large corporation.
McNeil said he respects Sutton, his opponent. “I believe it is important for people to have a choice when they go to vote. Someone willing to do the job and be committed to the people of the district is the person they should vote for,” McNeil said.
Sutton agreed that the most important thing is for people to get out and vote and to get involved in the local politics that affect everyday life.
“I’m feeling really good about the campaign,” Sutton said, explaining that he thinks people are ready for a change. “If you want a change, you have to put new things and people in to get that change. You can’t do the same thing again and again and expect different results. If people want things to happen in government, it has to start here with local change.”
Sutton explained that if he is elected, he hopes to get people to think about new ideas, such as improving the infrastructure of the parks in downtown Norwich to help support new events and increase tourism in Chenango County. Sutton also said he would like to get people in the City and Town of Norwich talking about the merger. “We need to get the feasibility study done and find out if it is a good idea to merge and go from there,” Sutton said.
Another big issue Sutton said he would like to address is a way to curb taxes in Chenango County. “We need to look at new ideas on how to spend and not spend the money we already have and to alleviate the tax burden,” Sutton said.
Also running for city offices are Linda Natoli for Norwich City Supervisor of Wards Four, Five and Six; Robert Carey for Alderman of Ward One; John Deierlein for Alderman of Ward Three and Paul Laughlin for Alderman of Ward Five. All of these candidates are unopposed in Tuesday’s election.