Watertown council to vote on lifting residency requirement for city manager, others
Jun. 13—WATERTOWN — After it came up more than a year ago, City Council members will finally deal with passing a local law that would allow City Manager Eric Wagenaar to continue to live in Chaumont.
The issue was first brought to the public's attention last month when Watertown resident Robert Avallone questioned why council members had failed to act on a local law that would not require Wagenaar to live in the city.
On Monday night, council members will be asked to pass the ordinance that would not require Wagenaar, Public Works Superintendent Brian MacCue, City Engineer Tom Compo and City Assessor Kimberli Johnston to live in Watertown.
During three subsequent council meetings in recent weeks, Avallone brought up the subject.
"It's not a good look to leave a breach of contract," Avallone said. "I'm glad they're addressing it."
He wasn't blaming Wagenaar for the situation. Mayor Sarah V.C. Pierce, City Attorney Kristen Smith and council members should have acted on it long before Monday's meeting, Avallone said.
On Dec. 23, 2023, the City Council approved the contract to hire Wagenaar with the stipulation that he'd move into the city within six months.
Under the contract, Wagenaar was given until June 29, 2024, to make the move, with a possible six-month extension until last December.
About a year ago, council members discussed the issue during an executive session, but took no action.
Councilwoman Lisa A. Ruggiero said Friday that the city attorney wrote up a resolution to address it on May 20, 2024. In an email, Pierce told council members she would review it. There it sat, the councilwoman said.
So Ruggiero sent out an email to Smith asking about it on May 20, 2025 — exactly a year after the city attorney had penned the ordinance — and then forwarded the email to Pierce and council members, she said.
"Eric is doing an excellent job," Avallone said. "He's an asset for the city. I'm glad he's on board."
On Monday night, council members will consider adopting a local law to create an exception to the residency requirement under Section 3 of the state's Public Officers Law for the city manager and the three other appointed city officials.
Pierce, who could not be reached for comment, and council members Cliff G. Olney III and Ruggiero were on council when Wagenaar was hired. Council members Robert O. Kimball and Benjamin P. Shoen have served on council during Wagenaar's tenure as city manager.
Wagenaar replaced former City Manager Kenneth A. Mix, who retired at the end of Decembers 2023. Mix lived in Champion before moving to Watertown to become city manager.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
NYC primary election 2025 ultimate voter guide: Ranked choice explained
The Brief Early voting is officially underway in New York City, kicking off a critical stretch in the primary election season. This year, NYC will use ranked choice voting in primary and special elections for mayor, public advocate, comptroller, borough president, and City Council. Unofficial election night results will include only first-choice votes from early voting, in-person voting, and processed mail ballots. NEW YORK - Early voting is officially underway in New York City, kicking off a critical stretch in the primary election season. Find your nearest poll site here. Register to vote here. June 14 is a triple deadline: it marks the first day of early voting, the last day to register to vote in the primary, and the final day to submit an absentee ballot application online. June 22 is the last day of early voting. June 24 is the primary election. This year, NYC will use ranked choice voting in primary and special elections for mayor, public advocate, comptroller, borough president, and City Council; a system approved by voters in 2019. See who is running for:Mayor | Borough president | District Attorney | City Comptroller | Public Advocate | City Council | Judicial In ranked choice voting, you can choose up to five candidates in order of preference. Your first-choice vote is counted first. If a candidate gets more than 50% of first-choice votes, they win. If no one gets a majority, the last-place candidate is eliminated, and those votes go to the next choice on each ballot. This process continues until two candidates remain; whoever has the most votes then wins. You can rank up to five candidates, but you don't have to rank all five. Only rank candidates you support. Leave others blank. You can vote for just one person if you want. You can only pick one candidate per column (Choice 1, Choice 2, etc.). Do not rank the same candidate more than once, it won't help them. Example: 1st choice is your top pick. 2nd choice is your backup. Followed by your 3rd, 4th, and 5th choices (if you have them). Unofficial election night results will include only first-choice votes from early voting, in-person voting, and processed mail ballots. Preliminary ranked choice tabulations will be released one week after election day. Weekly updates will reflect additional ballot processing, including affidavits and cured ballots. Final certification of election results will occur only after all ballots have been counted, including absentee, military, affidavit, early, and emergency ballots. Independent candidates like Mayor Eric Adams (incumbent) and Jim Walden are not on the primary ballot because New York City holds closed primaries, allowing only registered party members to vote and run in those contests. NYC Mayor Eric Adams, 64, announced that he would run as an independent, forgoing the Democratic primary for mayor. Jim Walden, 59, a longtime NYC lawyer, is also running as an independent in the 2025 mayoral race. Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, 67, has focused his 2025 mayoral campaign on what he describes as a city in crisis. Zohran Mamdani , 33, is a self-declared socialist is focused on rent freezes, free bus rides, and no-cost childcare. Scott Stringer, 64, former NYC comptroller, is focused on transparency and good governance. Zellnor Myrie, 38, is a Brooklyn native focused on affordable housing and electoral reform. Whitney Tilson, 58, is an investor and lifelong Democrat who has emphasized the need for a city that is safe, affordable, and prosperous, criticizing career politicians for failing to address key issues. State Sen. Jessica Ramos, 39, announced that she would be running for NYC mayor amid calls for Eric Adams to resign. Brad Lander, 55, is the current NYC comptroller and a progressive who advocates for police reform, affordable housing, and better management of the migrant crisis. Adrienne Adams, 64, jumped in as a contender to enter the race, directly after former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Michael Blake, 42, a former Bronx assemblyman and vice chair of the DNC, is known for his focus on economic equity and social justice. Curtis Sliwa, 67, is a longtime New York City activist and founder of the Guardian Angels, a 1970s nonprofit known for its crime-fighting efforts and signature red berets. The public advocate is essentially the city government's main elected watchdog who serves in a non-voting capacity on the City Council. The NYC public advocate is first in the mayoral line of succession and incumbent Jumaane Williams is vying to hold on to his seat for his second and final four-year term. Assembly Member Jenifer Rajkumar, who represents Queens' 38th district, and Marty Dolan, a retired insurance executive from the Bronx, are challenging Williams. The winner of the Democratic primary for NYC public advocate is expected to run unchallenged in November. See who is running for: Mayor | Borough president | District Attorney | City Comptroller | Public Advocate | City Council | Judicial The NYC comptroller serves as the city's chief financial officer and chief auditor. The office reviews the performance and spending of city agencies, oversees all city contracts, manages public pension funds, and handles the settlement of litigation claims. There are four candidates who made the primary ballot: Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine City Council Finance Chair Justin Brannan Civil servant Ismael Malave State Sen. Kevin Parker The winner of the primary will likely run unopposed in the general election. A borough president reviews land use proposals and gives an advisory opinion that can influence City Council decisions. They also appoint community board members, shaping how neighborhoods grow and where resources go. It's a key role for setting local priorities. Here are the candidates for each borough: The Bronx Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson (D) is running for re-election after first winning the seat in 2021. Challenging her in the Democratic primary is City Councilmember Rafael Salamanca (D), who chairs the Council's Land Use Committee. Antonio Reynoso (D) is running for re-election after first winning the Brooklyn borough president seat in 2021. He previously served on the City Council and has picked up endorsements from major unions, elected officials, and the Working Families Party. Khari Edwards (D), a corporate executive and community advocate, is running again after losing in 2021. He has not held elected office and is campaigning on education, job training, and gun violence prevention. Janine Acquafredda (R) is a real estate broker and the only Republican in the race, automatically advancing to the November ballot. She's focused on public safety, homeownership, and defending drivers' rights in the city. There is no incumbent in the Manhattan borough president race as Mark Levine is running for comptroller. The Democratic candidates are State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, City Councilmember Keith Powers, and emergency medicine doctor Calvin Sun. Brad Hoylman-Sigal has served in Albany for 12 years and has passed over 350 bills. He holds endorsements from former Manhattan borough presidents, Manhattan Democratic Party leaders, Congressman Jerry Nadler, and the healthcare workers union 1199. Keith Powers is a term-limited City Councilmember focused on land use and affordable housing. He has raised slightly more campaign funds than Hoylman-Sigal and is endorsed by several members of Congress, union 32BJ, and the Teamsters. Calvin Sun is a doctor with no prior elected office experience. His campaign focuses on healthcare access, cost of living, and education, and he has raised significantly less money than the other two candidates. Staten Island voters will choose between two candidates running unopposed in their parties in the November general election. Republican Vito Fossella is the current Staten Island borough president. His tenure includes efforts to challenge congestion pricing and oppose voting rights for non-citizens in city elections. Fossella's 2021 campaign was endorsed by former President Donald Trump. His campaign currently holds $77,304 with no public matching funds. Democrat Michael Colombo is focusing on affordable housing, better public transportation, and public health. Colombo emphasizes his working-class Staten Island roots over party politics. His campaign has raised $67,805 and has not received matching funds. Queens voters will decide between two candidates in the November general election since neither faces a primary challenge. Republican Henry "Ike" Ikezi works in real estate and focuses on job training, affordable housing, and increasing the NYPD presence for public safety. His campaign has raised over $15,000 but currently has under $1,000 available. Democrat Donovan Richards is the current Queens borough president. He has directed funding toward hospitals, affordable housing, clean energy, and nonprofits. Richards previously served on the City Council, where he led zoning and public safety committees. See who is running for: Mayor | Borough president | District Attorney | City Comptroller | Public Advocate | City Council | Judicial Voters in Manhattan and Brooklyn will also soon be able to select their borough's top prosecutor. This will be a traditional one-vote election, not ranked choice voting. In Manhattan, incumbent Alvin Bragg faces challenger Patrick Timmins, a former Bronx prosecutor. Brooklyn's incumbent DA Eric Gonzalez runs uncontested and will automatically appear on the November ballot. Queens, Staten Island and the Bronx will not hold DA elections until 2027. All 51 City Council seats are up for grabs, including nine with term-limited members who can't run again. Not sure who represents you in the City Council? Find out here. Here are some of the key races in each borough. District 38 covers Sunset Park, Red Hook, and parts of Dyker Heights and Bensonhurst. Incumbent Alexa Avilés faces a moderate Democratic challenger, Ling Ye, and Republican Luis Quero in a district that shifted to more conservative after redistricting. District 39 includes Kensington, Borough Park, Windsor Terrace, Park Slope, Gowanus, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill, and the Columbia Waterfront. Incumbent Shahana Hanif is in a tight race with Maya Kornberg amid debates over Israel and Gaza. District 47 covers Bay Ridge, Coney Island, and parts of Bath Beach. With term-limited Justin Brannan running for comptroller, Kayla Santosuosso is competing for the Democratic nomination against Fedir Usmanov. On the Republican side, Richie Barsamian faces George Sarantopoulos. District 48 includes Homecrest, Sheepshead Bay, Brighton Beach, and Manhattan Beach. Incumbent Republican Inna Vernikov is challenged by Ari Kagan, a former Democrat who switched parties, in a contentious race between two former Soviet Union immigrants. District 8 covers East Harlem, Randall's Island, and parts of the South Bronx. With term-limited Diana Ayala leaving, six candidates, including Exonerated Central Park 5 member Raymond Santana, are competing in a crowded Democratic primary. District 13 includes Morris Park, Pelham Parkway, Pelham Bay, and nearby neighborhoods. Republican Kristy Marmorato narrowly won this politically mixed district in 2023, and seven Democrats are now vying to flip the seat. District 14 covers Kingsbridge, Fordham, University Heights, Mount Eden, and Mount Hope. Incumbent Pierina Sanchez faces two challengers, including her predecessor who held the seat from 2010 to 2021. District 1 covers Lower Manhattan from the Financial District to SoHo and the Lower East Side. Incumbent Christopher Marte faces three challengers, including lawyer Jess Coleman and former NYPD counterterrorism chief Elizabeth Lewinsohn. District 2 includes Greenwich Village, East Village, Midtown South, Gramercy, and Murray Hill. Ten candidates competing for the open seat vacated by Carlina Rivera include former Congressman Anthony Weiner, State Assembly member Harvey Epstein, and local government veterans Sarah Batchu and Andrea Gordillo. District 4 covers Stuyvesant Town, Midtown East, and the Upper East Side. With Keith Powers term-limited and running for borough president, six candidates, including nonprofit strategist Vanessa Aronson and attorney Faith Bondy are vying for the seat in a tight race. District 21 covering East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, LeFrak City, North Corona, and Willets Point. The race features deputy city council aide Erycka Montoya, district leader Yanna Henriquez, and community board member Shanel Thomas-Henry. Controversy surrounds former legislator Hiram Monserrate, disqualified under a law barring felons from running. District 28 covers Southeast Queens neighborhoods including South Ozone Park and Jamaica and are represented by term-limited Council Speaker Adrienne Adams. Her chief of staff, Tyrell "Ty" Hankerson, is vying for the seat. Other candidates include Latoya LeGrand, focusing on education and community services, former Councilmember Ruben Wills advocating criminal justice reform, and Japneet Singh, a top fundraiser and leader combating hate crimes in the South Asian community. District 30 covers Maspeth, Glendale, Middle Village, and Ridgewood, forming a politically mixed district where Republican Curtis Sliwa won the mayoral vote in 2021 despite a Democratic majority. Term-limited Councilmember Bob Holden has backed candidates on both sides: Phil Wong (D) and Alicia Vaichunas (R). Dermot Smyth, a former teacher and political strategist with strong union backing, is a leading Democratic candidate prioritizing education, workers' rights, and public safety. Paul Pogozelski, a civic leader opposing the Interborough Express plan, is also in the race. Staten Island has three City Council districts, but none are highly competitive this year. District 51 recently held a special election, won by Republican radio host Frank Morano, who now must win again in Nov. to secure a full term. In June's primary, voters in parts of Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens will pick delegates for the judicial convention, which selects the New York Supreme Court nominees for November. Most judicial races aren't competitive and won't appear on the ballot. However, some voters will directly elect Civil Court judges, who handle tenant-landlord disputes and civil cases up to $50,000, serving 10-year terms. Only five Civil Court races are contested this year. Because judges are state court officials, these races don't use ranked choice voting. Bronx voters pick one Civil Court judge; Brooklyn voters pick two; Queens voters pick multiple judges in different municipal districts. Bronx – Civil Court Judge (vote for 1): Shekera Anessa Algarin George M. Santana Brooklyn – Civil Court Judge (vote for 2): Janice Chen Marisa Arrabito Susan Liebman Janice P. Purvis Queens – Civil Court Judge (vote for 1): 1st Municipal Court District (Astoria, Long Island City, Ravenswood, Queensbridge): Juliette-Noor Haji Thomas G. Wright Fernandez 2nd Municipal Court District (Sunnyside, Woodside, Sunnyside Gardens, Blissville, parts of Long Island City): Julie M. Milner Eve Cho Guillergan At-large Queens Civil Court Judge: John J. Ciafone Sheridan C. Chu
New York Post
15 hours ago
- New York Post
Disgraced ex-pol Anthony Weiner heads crowded field of NYC Council candidates heading into June 24 primary
Political comeback bids by disgraced ex-Rep. Anthony Weiner and a grudge match pitting Republican rivals in southern Brooklyn highlight the 51 City Council races heading into the June 24 primary. The scandal-scarred Weiner is taking a stab at re-entering public life after being sentenced to 21 months in jail in 2017 for sexting with a minor, and he has his eyes set on replacing term-limited lefty Carlina Rivera in Manhattan's District 2 that includes the East Village and the Lower East Side. The 60-year-old former congressman — who was a frontrunner in the 2013 mayoral race before ultimately finishing fifth in the primary – heads a field of five Democratic candidates and admits trying to reinvent himself. 4 The disgraced ex-pol Anthony Weiner leads a crowded field of City Council candidates. J.C. Rice 'I'm trying to do a high-wire act blindfolded over a pond of angry alligators, you know?' he said. 'I got my scandal. I haven't run in a while, and I am running as a different kind of candidate.' The once-rising Democratic star told The Post he's 'not hiding' from his past and insists most voters haven't made it an issue on the campaign trail and that hopes his experience as an elected official will put him over the top. Still, he conceded the comeback bid won't be easy – especially in his uber-liberal district where he's running as a 'practical common-sense Democrat in a time that the party has lost its way.' He said his competitors – which include Assemblyman Harvey Epstein (D-Manhattan) and ex-Mayor Bill de Blasio aide and nonprofit leader Sarah Batchu – are too 'far left,' so he's banking on voters seeking more moderate leadership. 4 Weiner believes Assemblyman Harvey Epstein is too far left for most voters. Hans Pennink 'I consider myself a fairly progressive person, but I don't think it's progressive to think it's okay to pay $2.90 to get on the subway while five people are climbing [the turnstile] behind you and don't pay,' Weiner said. 'And I don't think it's a progressive value to spend a billion-and-a-half dollars on police overtime when we could be hiring more police officers.' Epstein hasn't had his own sex scandal, but he did inspire a 'Saturday Night Live' comedy sketch last year that goofed on him running for office while unfortunately having a comparable name to two notorious sexual predators: Harvey Weinstein and Jeffrey Epstein. He didn't return messages. Besides Weiner, three other Democratic candidates are also trying to write political redemption stories by winning back council seats: Andy King and Fernando Cabrera of The Bronx and Ruben Wills of Queens. Wills was bounced from the Council in 2017 after being found guilty in a corruption trial of stealing more than $30,000 in public funds, but the conviction was overturned four years ago. The Council voted to expel King in 2020 following a series of ethics charges alleging he misused government funds and mistreated his staff. Cabrera, an influential pastor who served as Mayor Eric Adams $227,786-a-year senior spiritual advisor from 2022 through mid-2023, came under fire repeatedly while a councilman the previous 12 years for making numerous anti-gay remarks, including praising the notoriously homophobic government of Uganda. 4 The race between Inna Vernikov and Ari Kagan has been nasty. Paul Martinka In Brooklyn's 48th District that includes Sheepshead Bay, incumbent Inna Vernikov is trying to fend off a challenge from ex-Councilman Ari Kagan in the Republican primary. The race has been nasty — despite both being ideologically indistinguishable, including vowing to fight to improve public safety, keep homeless shelters out of the district and combat antisemitism and illegal dumping., Kagan has boasted he's a 'harder worker' than Vernikov, who he ripped as an 'absentee councilwoman.' Vernikov says Kagan is a fraud — a Democrat at heart based on his voting record. Both candidates were previously Dems. 4 Kagan has painted Vernikov as an absentee official. Gabriella Bass As a councilwoman, Vernikov has been a lead voice for Zionists combating antisemitism since the start of the Israel-Hamas War, helped remove homeless encampments plaguing her district and has fought to preserve neighborhood parking access despite the city pushing an anti-car agenda. Her key endorsements include the city's police officers, correction officers and firefighters unions and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) Kagan, who works as a senior advisor to state Sen. Steve Chan (R-Brooklyn), is being endorsed by Assemblymen Michael Novakhov and Alec Brook-Krasny, who represent parts of southern Brooklyn. Other incumbents facing tough primary fights include Brooklyn Democrats Shahana Hanif and Alexa Aviles, both card carrying members of the Democratic Socialists of America, and fellow lefty Chris Marte of Lower Manhattan. The far-left, pro-Palestine Hanif began bending over backwards to show support for Jews earlier this year after momentum in her district that includes Park Slope continued to grow for her Jewish opponent Maya Kornberg, who works at NYU's Brennan Center. Hanif was singing a different tune before the primary challenge emerged. In April 2023, she was one of just two council members to vote against an 'End Jew Hatred Day' resolution — calling it a 'far right' idea. And in the days after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 terror attack on Israel, Hanif insisted in a since-deleted post on X 'the root cause of this war is the illegal, immoral, and unjust occupation of the Palestinian people,' and that 'no peace' should be expected. Although the scores of NYC Council candidates have raised more than $18 million combined in private and public matching funds for their respective races, the Council isn't expected to look significantly different next year with only eight races wide open because of term-limits and many incumbents running unopposed or against political novices.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Johnstown mayoral candidates King, DeBartola bring opposing views to Central Park effort
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Whether to spend millions of dollars remodeling and modernizing Johnstown's Central Park is a question that exemplifies the city's differing political opinions, including for candidates in this year's mayoral race. Deputy Mayor the Rev. Sylvia King, the Democratic nominee, is part of the establishment that has promoted the project that will include installing new sidewalks, a pavilion for entertainment, monuments walkway, greenery and infrastructure upgrades. King recently voted in favor of a motion approving a final plan for the park that passed Johnstown City Council by a 6-1 vote. Republican Party mayoral candidate John DeBartola, who considers himself a political outsider, has used his platform on Revitalize Johnstown and in public forums to oppose the plan. The project, which is expected to cost between $6 million and $8 million, is being funded by American Rescue Plan Act money for COVID-19 pandemic relief. City Council approved putting the funds toward the park project from among the $30.7 million it received in ARPA money that it was awarded in 2021. 'The vast majority of the public opposes spending $8 million to completely redesign Central Park,' DeBartola said. 'The city could have used that money to remove blight in neighborhoods, build a new police station, or support a grocery store downtown. … It's a shame city leaders prioritized Central Park over the police, fire department or our neighborhoods.' DeBartola added: 'All the public wants is honest and fair leadership. The way the city has handled the Central Park project shows they have neither.' King pointed out that the city used ARPA funds in numerous ways, including programs for home repairs, home purchases, sewer assistance, stormwater upgrades, community neighborhood development, nonprofit assistance, food insecurity and the Frank J. Pasquerilla Conference Center. The money is also linked to the $8 million in the U.S. Department of Transportation's Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development grant (formerly Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity) for a streetscape in the Main Street corridor. 'The ARPA funds were used as leverage to complement the RAISE grant,' King said. 'Because they are leveraged funds, they are tied to specific projects which were outlined in the RAISE grant application – and therefore cannot be reallocated for other uses. The use of ARPA funds to invest in infrastructure projects supports the revitalization of downtown.' King said the proposed changes will, in her opinion, make Central Park 'more interactive' for visitors and easier for people using mobility aids to navigate, while helping boost the economy. 'Being able to invest in the infrastructure of the city is paramount,' King said. 'The changes being made will stimulate and motivate our local economy. Hopefully it will spark more entrepreneurship initiatives. There will be inconveniences along the way. We ask for your patience during these upgrades.' The RAISE (now BUILD) grant was awarded in 2021. 'After 4 years, the RAISE grant seems to be inching along,' DeBartola wrote in an email. 'The problem is that in those 4 years, the cost of building materials has skyrocketed. The inability to execute the grant has caused us to lose millions due to inflation.'
