NORWICH – Residents of Norwich’s first ward will find a new name on the ballot come the November general elections.

Lifelong Chenango County resident Matthew Caldwell, a Republican, officially announced his candidacy for Ward One Alderman for the City of Norwich this week. Caldwell is an 11-year resident of the city’s first ward with a professional background in finance and small business.

Currently an employee of Chenango County in labor relations and civil service administration, Caldwell says his experience in government – combined with his previous experience in banking and mortgage financing, real estate, and manufacturing – would be a valuable asset to the Norwich Common Council.

“I believe this is an effective way for me to give back to the community that I call home,” he said. “We need to start finding new ways to address our challenges, whether they are a product of our own doing or the result from state mandates. We need to analyze the decisions we make and how they are going to affect our future in addition to our current situation.”