VILLAGE OF NORTH SYRACUSE – In a closely contested race for two trustee positions in the village of North Syracuse, Republican John Bolton, who was running for the position for the first time, was the top vote getter.
Bolton, who is retired following more than two decades at Home Depot, also served on the police reform committee.
He will be joined on the board by Patricia Gustafson, who ran on the Democrat and Good Neighbors party lines. Gustafson, who was first elected in 2021 to fill the remainder of Diane Browning’s term, currently serves as deputy mayor.
Fred Wilmer, a Republican, who was first elected in 2019, was the third place finisher in the tight race.
Gary Butterfield, who ran unopposed, will return for another term as mayor, a position he has held since June, 2015.
After the in-person votes were tallied, it appeared that Wilmer might claim the second trustee position, but there were 33 absentee votes to be counted which tipped the scales in Gustafson’s favor. Only ten votes separated the top voter getter and the third place finisher.
The final certified vote tallies were:
Mayor
Gary Butterfield – 203
Trustee
John Bolton – 161
Patricia Gustafson – 158
Fred Wilmer – 151
