NORWICH – With hundreds of voters expected to head to the voting booth for the Republican Primary Tuesday, city residents will have a list of four names to choose from to appear on the Republican line of the general election ballot in November.
Incumbent councilmen Walter Schermerhorn (Ward Four) and Daniel Palmer (Ward Six) are being challenged by Linda Kays Biviano and Thomas LoPiccolo, respectively, for a four-year seat on the six-member city council.
There is a twist for Ward Six residents, however, as Palmer recently announced he will not seek re-election in November, citing personal matters and reasons he said interfere with his private main street business, the Broad Street Tavern. But Palmer’s name will appear on the primary ballot nonetheless as he missed the deadline to have it removed.
Said Palmer, “I am very grateful to have served the people in Ward Six and for a chance to work with the city council.”
Palmer was elected to the council in 2012, defeating then incumbent Thomas LoPiccolo. But without Palmer seeking re-election, LoPiccolo, who now hopes to regain his position after the upcoming general election, will likely appear on the Republican line in November.
LoPiccolo was appointed to the council in January of 2012 to fill the seat left vacant by former Ward Six Alderman Robert Jeffrey, who was elected City Supervisor in 2011. This year marks the official end of the four-year term started by Jeffrey in 2010.
“I want the people around the city and around my ward to feel they live in a good, safe area,” LoPiccolo stated, noting city-wide initiatives he backed during his brief stint on the city council last year. “I support safety and security of city residents as well as quality senior and affordable housing ... I want to make sure those kinds of things keep going.”
LoPiccolo added his hopes of reinforcing youth activities in the city as well, including those organized by the Norwich City Youth Bureau.
In the city’s fourth ward, Ward Four Alderman Walter Schermerhorn is gearing up for his third election. Having served on the city council eight years now, Schermerhorn is running on the experience platform for a third consecutive term.
“That experience is important. I know what the situations are that we are dealing with on a day-to-day basis,” said Schermerhorn, emphasizing past efforts to ensure public safety and maintain proper infrastructure. “One of the primary things we need to focus on in the future is dollars and cents, and how we spend taxpayers’ money reasonably and still do what needs to be done.”
But political newcomer Linda Kays Biviano - a training coordinator for Norwich Pharmaceuticals - said maintaining status quo isn’t enough for the city. If elected to be the city’s newest representative, Biviano said she wants to fortify communication between city lawmakers and their constituents. Government transparency, she added, is key.
Biviano said the State Street project is an example of leaving area residents in the dark. The State Street project is a collaborative effort between city officials, CWS, and a Syracuse-based development firm that calls for demolition of four State Street properties to build a new affordable housing complex in that neighborhood.
“When I first heard about (the project), the council had already made their decisions,” she said. “I felt the neighborhood was not being informed enough.”
“I’m running on a promise to keep residents informed through Facebook, websites, and by calling them if something important is happening in our ward,” she continued. “And I think I can bring a woman’s perspective into what is a majority male council.”
Polls for Tuesday’s Republican Primary will open from noon to 9 p.m. at the St. Bartholomew Parish Center, 73 E. Main St.