The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
RACE OVERVIEW
Three candidates vie to represent Oneida in Madison County Board of Supervisors race
Oneida, N.Y. — There are three candidates running head-to-head to land one of two positions to represent Oneida on the Madison County Board of Supervisors. Mary Cavanagh, John Nichols, and Matt Roberts are all running to represent Wards 1, 2, and 3 on the county board.
The Dispatch sent questions to candidates in various Oneida races. Cavanagh, Nichols, and Robert’s responses can be found below with minimal editing for clarity.
Tell us a little bit about yourself. Cavanagh
I am a lifelong resident of Oneida, have 3 children, Jaclyn, Mitchell, and Julianna, and love spending time with family. I enjoy what the community has to offer and think Madison County is the best place to live and raise a family.
Nichols
My name is John Nichols and I am running for the Madison County Board of Supervisors to represent Wards 1-2-3 in the City of Oneida. You will find my name on the Democratic Party line and the Make A Difference line on the ballot. I am a lifetime resident of Madison County and have lived in Oneida for almost 40 years. I live in Ward 2 with my lovely wife Kathy and my daughters Becky and Sarah.
Roberts
I have lived in the area since 1972, residing in Oneida as a child and moving back in 1990. I graduated from Oneida High School in 1982 and my wife Alice graduated in 1983. We raised our three children, Andrew, Eric, and Mallory in Oneida also. I have extensive
business experience, from operations to banking to working with both Albany and Washington DC on trade, labor, environmental and regulatory issues. We are very proud of the fact that we were able, with the help of a lot of our local friends, to resurrect a business from nothing. I still have a lot of love for the City of Oneida and want it to continue to be a great place to raise a family.
Why did you want to run for this position? Cavanagh
I am the current Supervisor for Oneida City Wards 1,2,& 3 and I am seeking re-election on November 2. I have a vested interest
in making sure Madison
County is a place where people want to work, live, and raise their families.
Nichols
The people of Oneida deserve to have a choice. The relationship between the city and county has not always been productive and I would like to be part of improving that relationship. We need more open communication and transparency. I want to make a difference.
Roberts
I am running for re-election because I want to find solutions for problems that have plagued this area for decades. I think working for the County fits my skill set due to my experience as a problem solver and consen
sus builder, which you have to be to make progress. Up until recently, the City and County did not work together and, while there will always be issues, we need each other to be successful.
Why do you believe you’re the best candidate for this position? Cavanagh
I feel I am an independent thinker and a problem solver. These traits combined with fiscal responsibility and common sense are essential for this position on the Board of Supervisors. I currently serve on the County Finance Committee and I’m the Chairwoman of the Government Operations Committee which requires working closely with the County Administrator and the Board Chair to ensure all county departments and employees have the tools and resources they need to provide critical services to our
residents.
Nichols
I worked for over 30 years as a teacher. During my time as an educator, I worked on many projects and committees, including as president of my local union. We negotiated contracts and solved issues by working together. As a member of CORE Federal Credit Union, I upped my knowledge of audits, financial reports, and understanding budgets. This experience will certainly be an asset for both me and my constituents.
Roberts
It’s an interesting question and I think it’s a function of balance. I grew up here, I know many of the citizens here. So that is an advantage from a community knowledge standpoint. However, I have seen people in local government that were “too” local, meaning they had no outside experience nor wanted any “interference.” That causes stagnation, which is not a good thing. As mentioned above, I have extensive business experience, even some international business experience working in Central Mexico. I have also worked with local economic development agencies over the years, have a lot of friends that work in a lot of different areas throughout the United States.
What do you think the biggest issues facing the community are right now? Cavanagh
I think the biggest issue facing the community is bail reform and the inability for law enforcement to do their jobs efficiently to keep citizens safe. Bail reform legislation strips law enforcement’s ability to keep people safe by mandating criminals and some felons be released on appearance tickets when arrested. This legislation prevents law enforcement, District Attorneys, and Judges the discretion to put a dangerous criminal in jail. We need to support the repeal of Bail Reform and let the law enforcement community do their jobs effectively and efficiently.
Nichols
We have had a big expansion of solar and wind power in our county. But every technology has a limited life. Have we put the right policies and checks and balances in place for when these installations need to be replaced? Are we doing all we can for our senior citizens and our disabled population, both issues near to my heart? We have a drug abuse problem in the city and county right now that we will need all hands on deck to mitigate. We will soon have a muchneeded build out of rural broadband. Have we asked the right questions about how that will be installed? The answers may be yes. Let’s make sure the stakeholders know!
Roberts
Number one is public safety, number two is infrastructure and number three is business development. I know there has been a lot of divisiveness when it comes to policing, but much of it has been totally misguided. Our Oneida police, County Sherriff and State Police need to continue to work together. Our recent administration in both the City and County have mended a lot of fences in the past 18 months which is a good thing. First and foremost, if you do not have a safe environment to live and work, we cannot solve the other problems.
What would you hope to achieve during your first 100 days in office? Cavanagh
I will continue to be an active member of our community and continue advocating for growth in our county and city. The county has several resources available to help our city reduce costs and I am working closely with the shared services panel to understand all resources available that can help move Oneida forward. I will continue encouraging Oneida’s leadership to focus on growth and improvement for our city in 2022.
Nichols
When you are the new person in any organization, you listen and learn. But I won’t hesitate to speak up on behalf of the citizens of Oneida and Madison County just to avoid making waves. I would like to have a rapport with the other supervisors, such that we can have open and honest sharing of ideas. But, let me be clear, I am a partisan. I would be representing the people of Oneida, and I cannot lose sight of that. In the interest of transparency, our community needs to know how and why I vote on any resolution. I will be accountable.
Roberts
Shared services is a huge opportunity for all of us in Madison County. Remember that these communities were organized in the 18th or 19th century, so there are synergies we need to take advantage of. Becoming more efficient as a government leads to a better customer experience. I know both the Mayor and County Administration are committed to getting this moving forward. In addition, I want to bring home some of the proposed investments into the City and leverage new investments at the County level. Some of these projects will be amazing for the City.