4 seeking 3 seats on Ogdensburg City Council
Jun. 16—OGDENSBURG — November's election for three City Council seats has been finalized, barring any write-in campaigns, with four candidates on the ballot.
Running on the Republican and Conservative lines are incumbents Daniel E. Skamperle and Michael B. Powers.
Running on both the Democratic and Independent Voices for Reason line are John Tebo and Wendy Hamilton.
Skamperle is the longest tenured member of City Council, having served four terms after being first elected in 2009. A teacher at Massena Central School, Skamperle feels that there is "much unfinished business from city government."
"I believe I'm still the voice of so many people who want to see this city do better in many different ways. I want to move this city forward by creating economic development while lowering taxes, I believe the last administration in it's relationship with New York State and the county, in many respects, put this city on hold," stated Skamperle, citing the dispute with the county over sales tax and a legal "mess" with the city's firefighter union that are keeping taxes high.
Skamperle said that the city needs to address economic development to raise sales tax "since we are on our own now." He says two quick ways that can happen are by passing a new business and residential friendly zoning code and to develop Diamond and Shade Roller properties as well as the Marina District.
Powers was on City Council from 2008-2012 and served the remainder of a two-year term prior to being re-elected in November of 2021.
He retired from the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision after 34 years of service. Prior to retirement, he had been the president of the New York State Corrections Officer & Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA).
Powers called the current council a "good council" and has enjoyed working with them over the past year and a half. Powers wants to continue the work they've done so far.
"The city is starting to turn some corners and I am happy and grateful to the citizens of Ogdensburg who have put their trust in me," said Powers. "The city is on to some good things here and I would like to continue to serve."
In April, Tebo was selected to fill the remaining term on City Council of Michael Weaver following his resignation earlier this spring after he moved outside of city limits. A retired teacher from the Ogdensburg City School District and longtime coach, Tebo is running to remain on City Council for the next four years.
"I think we are moving in the right direction. With the recent grants we've gotten with some other things that are happening I think I want to be part of that positive forward motion that the city is about to take," said Tebo. "It's better than sitting back and complaining about the city when maybe you could do something to help it."
The lone newcomer to the election process is Hamilton who moved to Ogdensburg four years ago from South Carolina.
A regular at City Council meetings, as well as speaking at the podium during public appearances, Hamilton sees herself as someone who can "shake up the status quo."
"There are a lot of familiar faces and names there (City Council) and my research into Ogdensburg's political history is much that has happened is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. So I think a new perspective, a fresh perspective is needed," said Hamilton. "I've lived here for four short years and I love Ogdensburg and I think there's a tremendous amount of potential here and I think I see it through a different pair of eyes because I don't have the historical loss connection."
Hamilton retired from what she calls a "corporate life in human resources and organizational development," has run a small "niche" business. In her retired life she has acted as a mentor to Senior Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) that provides free business consulting to small businesses.
"I have both a corporate and small business perspective as well," she added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
18 minutes ago
- USA Today
Deeper Medicaid cuts, limited tax breaks for tips: What's in the Senate tax bill
Deeper Medicaid cuts, limited tax breaks for tips: What's in the Senate tax bill The bill text released June 16 sets up a potentially explosive confrontation with House Republicans. Show Caption Hide Caption Hakeem Jeffries backs Elon Musk's call to 'kill' Trump's tax bill House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries backed Elon Musk's call to "kill the bill", saying Trump's tax plan will harm Americans. WASHINGTON – Senate Republicans are proposing deeper cuts to Medicaid than the House of Representatives' recently passed budget bill, to help pay for President Donald Trump's major tax cuts under a budget plan released on June 16. The measure released by GOP leaders serving on a key panel responsible for writing the nation's tax laws also seeks a more limited tax cut for tips and overtime than the House, changing one of Trump's most recognizable 2024 campaign promises. Setting up a showdown with the Republican-led House, which adopted its own version of Trump's so-called "big beautiful bill" in late May, the Senate Finance Committee would not increase the federal deduction for state and local taxes from $10,000 to $40,000 for people earning less than $500,000 per year. Senate Republicans plan to continue to negotiate changes to the so-called SALT tax deduction. The proposal is the culmination of weeks of negotiations among Senate Republicans on the GOP bill that would be Trump's biggest legislative accomplishment in his second term thus far. Senators have been pushing to complete work on the package by July 4, before reconciling changes with the House and passing the bill before August. They have been walking a fine line since the House passed their version three weeks ago: Several senators have demanded deeper spending cuts to the bill, as the House's version is expected to add $2.4 trillion to the deficit over the next 10 years, while others are concerned that potential cuts to Medicaid and green energy tax credits go too far. Meanwhile, any changes they make could disrupt the delicate balance in the House, where Republicans have only a three-vote margin. The House-passed version of the bill would extend Trump's 2017 income tax cuts and implement new temporary tax breaks for tips and overtime. It would create new federally-seeded savings account for children and give seniors an additional tax credit. It would pour billions of dollars into the administration's deportation plans and on defense. And it would add new restrictions to benefit programs like Medicaid and food stamps in an effort to balance out the cost of the sweeping bill, including new Medicaid work requirements for able-bodied adults without children. The House's Medicaid changes are expected to save at least $625 billion and cause 7.6 million Americans to lose their health insurance over the next 10 years, according to initial estimates by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. A CBO estimate released on June 12 showed that the bill would decrease resources for low-income households while boosting resources for middle- and high-income households. Deeper Medicaid cuts As in the House, the Senate has fiscal conservatives who are concerned that the bill will add to the federal deficit and others who have problems with the potential impact on Medicaid health coverage. Appeasing one camp is difficult to do without inflaming the frustrations of the other, forcing Republican leaders to strike a balance to get the votes they need, as no Democrats are expected to support the proposal. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, and Sen. Jim Justice, R-West Virginia, have been critical of a provision in the bill that limits states from raising money to pay for their part of Medicaid spending through health-care-related taxes known as "provider taxes." But instead of rolling back the House's proposal, Senate lawmakers made deeper cuts to Medicaid through changes to the provider tax. They proposed gradually reducing the threshold by which states can guarantee providers will be paid back for contributing to the state's Medicaid funding, which boosts the amount the federal government matches. Right now, states can guarantee reimbursement if tax revenues make up 6% or less of revenues from treating patients. That limit would be gradually reduced to 3.5%. No taxes on tips, overtime A handful of Trump's key campaign promises would be scaled back under the Senate's version of the bill as opposed to the House's in order to rein in the cost of the package. The Senate's proposal would create a new tax deduction on overtime of up to $12,500 for an individual who makes $150,000 or less in a year. It would also create a tax deduction on tipped wages of up to $25,000 for people who make $150,000 or less. In the House's version, tax breaks for overtime and tips would have no limit and would apply to people who make $160,000 or less. SALT math The Senate had made it clear they planned to make some changes to a hotly-contested provision that would benefit people who live in high-tax states: State and local tax deductions, known as SALT. A handful of Republican lawmakers in the House who represent districts in Democratic-controlled states such as New York, New Jersey and California pushed to raise the $10,000 cap on SALT deductions to $40,000 for people earning less than $500,000 per year. But unlike in the House, there are no Republican senators who represent high-tax states that could benefit from the deduction. Adding a cap to the deduction, which Republicans approved during Trump's first presidency, "was one of the best reforms that we had in the bill," said Senate Majority Leader John Thune. The package, as released on June 16, would eliminate that deal and keep the existing $10,000 cap. Some of those GOP lawmakers in the House have already said they won't vote for the bill in the House if their deal on SALT is abandoned. Changing the deal "would be like digging up safely buried radioactive waste – reckless, destabilizing and sure to contaminate everything around it," Rep. Nick Lalota, R-New York, told reporters on June 4.
The Hill
19 minutes ago
- The Hill
SALT Caucus Republicans seethe at $10,000 cap in Senate's ‘big, beautiful bill'
Moderate House Republicans from high-tax blue states are seething at the Senate's proposal to keep the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap at $10,000, setting the stage for a showdown over one of the thorniest aspects of the GOP's 'big, beautiful bill.' Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee set off a frenzy Monday afternoon when they released text for their part of the GOP megabill, which lowered the SALT deduction cap from $40,000 — the product of tenuous negotiations between House moderates and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) — to $10,000, matching the cap in current law. Senate Republicans have said that the number in the text is merely a placeholder to continue negotiations across the Capitol. But House Republicans in the SALT Caucus are warning in no uncertain terms that they will not accept anything lower than the $40,000 deduction cap they landed last month. 'We have been crystal clear that the SALT deal we negotiated in good faith with the Speaker and the White House must remain in the final bill,' Reps. Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.) and Young Kim (R-Calif.), co-chairs of the SALT Caucus, wrote in a statement. 'Instead of undermining the deal already in place and putting the entire bill at risk, the Senate should work with us to keep our promise of historic tax relief and deliver on our Republican agenda.' Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), another key member of the group, was more succinct, writing on X that the proposal was 'DEAD ON ARRIVAL,' and warning in a statement that a $40,000 deduction cap 'is the deal and I will not accept a penny less.' 'If the Senate reduces the SALT number, I will vote NO and the bill will fail in the House,' he added. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told reporters Monday afternoon that the $10,000 deduction cap is a 'marker' for talks with House Republicans, and that they will find a number in the middle that satisfies both camps. 'We understand that it's a negotiation,' Thune said. 'Obviously there had to be some marker in the bill to start with. But we're prepared to have discussions with our colleagues here in the Senate and figure out a landing spot.' If a deduction cap below $40,000 remains in the bill, and Senate Republicans approve it, the legislation is unlikely to pass the House, where it must go for final approval before landing on President Trump's desk. House Republicans can only afford to lose three votes and still pass the bill — assuming full attendance and all Democrats vote 'no' — and far more have come out against the new SALT provision. 'The Senate doesn't have the votes for $10k SALT in the House,' Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.), a vocal member of the SALT Caucus, wrote on X, with a photo of Thomas Jefferson from 'Hamilton' and the caption 'you don't have the votes; you don't have the votes.' 'And if they're not sold on the House's $40k compromise, wait until they crash the [One Big Beautiful Bill Act] and [Tax Cuts and Jobs Act] expires—when SALT goes back to unlimited at year-end,' he added. 'They won't like that one bit.' Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) wrote on X that 'Everyone knows this 10K number will have to go up. And it will. NY Republicans will fight and deliver real tax relief for our overly taxed constituents (unlike NY Democrats who have failed the people of NY over and over crushing them with high taxes).' SALT for months has been one of the most difficult parts of the GOP's bill full of Trump's legislative priorities, with moderate House Republicans from high-tax blue states — including New York, New Jersey and California, many of whom helped secure the conference's majority — pushing for a higher deduction cap, and deficit hawks pressing to keep it low. After months of negotiations, members of the House's SALT Caucus landed a deal with leadership for a $40,000 deduction cap for individuals making $500,000 or less — quadruple the current $10,000 deduction cap. They warned their colleagues in the upper chamber not to tamper with the number. Johnson, who negotiated the $40,000 deduction cap with members of the SALT Caucus, said he urged the Senate on a number of occasions to be 'cautious' in how it changed their bill, especially the SALT provision.' 'I've been very consistent from the very beginning: I've encouraged them to be very cautious in changing terms of the bill, especially on SALT because it took us, as I've said over and over and over, it took us over a year to negotiate those terms, and it's very delicate,' he said last week. But once Senate Republicans got their hands on the package, they quickly warned that they would lower the number, staking opposition to the higher deduction cap that they view as an unfair subsidy for blue states. With zero Senate Republicans hailing from blue states that benefit from a higher SALT deduction cap, the issue had no champion in the upper chamber. It remains unclear where SALT conversations will go from here. With the party's July 4 deadline quickly approaching, Senate Republicans can still change parts of their package, whether it be through an amendment or on the floor. Even so, however, SALT Caucus Republicans in the House are warning that they are sticking by the $40,000 cap. 'The $40,000 SALT deduction was carefully negotiated along with other tax provisions by the House of Representatives and we all had to give a little to obtain the votes to pass the Big Beautiful Bill,' Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) wrote on X. 'For the Senate to leave the SALT deduction capped at $10,000 is not only insulting but a slap in the face to the Republican districts that delivered our majority and trifecta.' 'We understand that it's a negotiation. Obviously there had to be some marker in the bill to start with. But we're prepared to have discussions with our colleagues here in the Senate and figure out a landing spot.' Al Weaver contributed.
San Francisco Chronicle
23 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
North Carolina judges side with GOP lawmakers for who gets say on highway patrol commander
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A panel of North Carolina judges dismissed one of Democratic Gov. Josh Stein's cases against Republican legislative leaders Monday, upholding part of a power-shifting law that prevents Stein from selecting the State Highway Patrol commander. Three Wake County Civil Superior Court judges made the decision unanimously. The judges' decision means that the dispute won't go to trial, but it can be appealed. The lawsuit focuses on a portion of a more sweeping law passed by the GOP-dominated General Assembly that eroded the governor's powers, as well as the abilities of other top Democrats that hold statewide offices, last year. A day after its passage, Stein and former Gov. Roy Cooper filed the legal challenge that the judges dismissed Monday. The law says Stein cannot select his own commander to the State Highway Patrol and, instead, State Highway Patrol Commander Col. Freddy Johnson will keep the job until 2030. Johnson was appointed by Cooper in 2021 and is a defendant in the lawsuit. In the order that sided with legislative leaders and Johnson, the judges wrote there were 'no genuine issues of material fact' and that the plaintiff — Stein — did not prove that the provision was unconstitutional. An attorney for Stein, Eric Fletcher, had argued in court Monday that the provision guts the governor's abilities and violates the separation of powers. The commander would not be "directly accountable' to the governor, Fletcher said, but rather 'indirectly accountable' to the General Assembly. Fletcher insisted that the lawsuit was not a reflection of Johnson's character and ability to do his job. Lawyers representing Republican legislative leaders Destin Hall and Phil Berger argued the case should be thrown out because Stein hasn't publicly contended that he wants to remove Johnson from his post and the governor's arguments were largely hypothetical. Johnson's lawyer, William Boyle, further affirmed that there is 'no crisis here' between the governor and the State Highway Patrol commander and that they aren't 'at odds with each other.' Granting the governor the ability to appoint a new commander as the suit makes its way through the courts would also cause 'lasting detrimental harm,' Boyle said. Stein's office is separately fighting another provision in the same state law passed last year that transferred the power to appoint State Board of Elections members from the governor to the state auditor, who is a Republican. Appointments have stayed in place as the provision's constitutionality continues to be debated in courts. They shifted the state elections board from a Democratic to Republican majority.
