The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
SET TO RETIRE
Mayor Acker announces plans to not seek re-election this year
ONEIDA, N.Y. >> Oneida Mayor Helen Acker announced her retirement from the office Monday morning in a Facebook post. Acker, who is in her second term as mayor, said she will retire Dec. 31.
Her replacement will be decided by vote this November. A normal mayoral election vote was scheduled for this year.
“Wanted to share with you that I will be retiring December 31, 2023. It has been my privilege and my honor to serve this wonderful City of Oneida,” Acker wrote. “Thank you all for your encouragement, advise, many many discussions and most of all your friendship. I was asked what will I miss most — my answer was an easy one — I will miss you.
Thank you all.”
Acker has been involved in local politics and civil causes since moving to Oneida with her family in 1980. She represented the fourth ward on the Common Council 4th Ward since 2012. She was elected mayor Nov. 5, 2019 and is completing her second term.
Acker replaced outgoing councilman Mike Kaiser after his resignation June 30 2012. She had been appointed by Mayor Don Hudson was sworn in July 3.
Acker is a native of New York City. She attended Morrisville State College and worked a string of business-related jobs, including a position at radio station WMCR. She opened Oneida Office Supply in 1984. Her husband, Jerry Acker, managed that store while she managed Smith’s Decorating and Flooring Center on Lenox
“Thank you all for your encouragement, advise, many many discussions and most of all your friendship.”
— Oneida Mayor Helen Acker
Avenue.
Acker has recently overseen a number of changes in the city. These include the repair and renovation of the Hotel Oneida. The long-dormant property will be renamed “The Oneida” and will open by September 2024. The project will be paid for through New York State’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative and will cost an estimated $8.8 million to complete.
The ground floor will have an outdoor dining terrace for warm-weather months and the ground floor will have a bar and public and private dining. The second floor will include six one-bedroom and one two-bedroom apartments. The third floor will contain five one-bedroom and one two-bedroom apartments. The fourth floor will have five one-bedroom and one two-bedroom apartments.
Other DRI projects include the restoration and upgrade of the Devereaux Building, redeveloping the Lerman Building for commercial and residential uses, and upgrading facilities at Veteran’s Memorial Park.
“Of all the ideas proposed for this money the Hotel Oneida was always the number one project mentioned in our polls,” Acker said.
Oneida’s Common Council voted unanimously to amend the city’s charter and extend the terms of the mayor and council members from two years to four years during this week’s meeting.
The city of Oneida continued a likely move to reform its government operations when the common council received a formal recommendation to install a city manager.
Acker also prosed the city chamberlain position be changed from an elected to a nominated position. She worked with city chamberlain Anna Hood to overhaul the position after law enforcement officers arrested former Oneida City Chamberlain Nancy Andrews in a case that has law enforcement considering ways to repay the city for several thousand dollars and city officials seeking change in their governmental processes.
Officials allege that Andrews, 77, stole $78,881.55 in tax, water and sewer payments that were made in cash between 2012 and 2020. Andrews concealed the thefts with a Ponzi-like scheme by applying one property owner’s payment to another.
Voters denied the term extensions, city manager, and kept the chamberlain as an elected position in November.
Under Acker, the Common Council voted to slow the expansion of smoke and head shops in the city by passing a six-month moratorium on such stores within city limits. From now until early April the moratorium disallows the establishment, creation, maintenance, advertisement, and operation of any shop that sells legal marijuana products including glass pipes and bongs and the non-addictive marijuana CBD oil.
The ruling comes after what Acker termed the proliferation of such shops in Oneida. The moratorium will allow the city to address the challenges of such shops on a comprehensive basis. The ultimate goal is to establish appropriate zoning laws and amend current city laws regarding such shops.