The Cazenovia Village elections are set for Tuesday, June 16. Up for election are the mayor’s office and two seats on the board of trustees — all three races have incumbents running unopposed.
Mayor Kurt Wheeler is seeking reelection to a two-year term. He is running on both the Republican Party line and on The Community Party line.
“I am running for another term to help continue the hard work that the board and village have undertaken during the past few years,” Wheeler said. “We have made a huge investment in time and effort to craft zoning and plans which will promote economic development while also preserving and enhancing our community’s character. We have seen those efforts begin to pay dividends in recent weeks with the groundbreaking for the brewery and hotel, but much work remains.”
Wheeler said he is also running for his third term as mayor to “remain part of the effective team” the village currently has in place. That team includes not only the members of the board of trustees, but also the members of the appointed boards and village employees.
“I feel very fortunate to work with a group of people who are so committed to serving our community,” he said.
Also seeking reelection on June 16 are trustees Amy Weber Mann and Fritz Koennecke.
Mann, who was nominated to run last month by the Democrat Party, will also be running on The Community Party line.
Mann has served on the board for the past six years, and has served as commissioner of every village department during her time on the board.
“For me, it has been the ultimate way to give back to the community that raised me,” Mann said. “I had served on other local boards [before her first trustee election] and the opportunity to contribute to the community on an even greater level was interesting and challenging. That has not changed.”
Mann said she sees a lot of “positive energy” in the village currently, with the recent groundbreakings for two major economic development projects, the infrastructure work, community preservation efforts, increased home sales and tax revenue and balanced budgets.
Koennecke is running for his second term on the board on both the Republican Party and The Community Party lines.
“I’m running for re-election because we’ve made a lot of progress in the last few years and I’d like to keep the momentum going,” Koennecke said. “We’re starting to see signs of growth around the village as a result of the work we’ve done to clarify zoning. Work continues as we try to define a vision for how we’d use the creek side area and to develop a master plan for Lakeland Park.”
Koennecke said he feels the major issue facing the village during the next few years will be the maintenance and repair of the village infrastructure, especially village streets and, as the parks and recreation commissioner, he would like to see an increase in investment in village parks.
“As the new guy on the board, I’ve learned a lot during my first term. With more experience in hand, I’m even more excited to serve the community again,” Koennecke said.
The last day to register to vote to be eligible to vote in the village election is June 5.
The polls will be open from noon to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, June 16, at the Cazenovia American Legion on Chenango Street.
Jason Emerson is editor of the Cazenovia Republican. He can be reached at [email protected].
