With election season gearing up, candidates for office in the town of Cicero have disclosed their financials to the state.
According to his July 2015 periodic report, supervisor candidate Mark Venesky’s campaign has taken in $12,318 and spent $3,282.39, giving him a total of $9,035.61 as of July 29.
The largest contributions to the Republican, in the amount of $1,000 each, came from Sun Auto Warehouse and from Jack Venesky. According to the Onondaga County Board of Elections, $1,000 is the contribution limit for an individual or partnership in the town of Cicero. Contribution limits are based on the population of a town.
Mark Venesky has also accepted several $500 contributions, including donations from Drivers Village, Riccelli Enterprises and Syracuse Haulers. Syracuse Haulers has the trash and recycling contract for the town of Cicero. Riccelli Enterprises, meanwhile, has been trying to build two concrete plants on Northern Boulevard.
Cicero GOP Committee Chair Jim Corl Sr. said the contributions don’t reflect any effort to lobby for or buy votes.
“Because our candidates have strong records of doing right by the residents and businesses once in office, we continue to enjoy success at the polls year after year. We are fortunate to also have the financial support of many business leaders in our community,” Corl said in an email to the Star-Review. “While I cannot speak for any particular business, I can say that it is much harder to get donations from anyone who is having a lean year than from someone who is experiencing sales growth. This seems to be the case whether their level of success is based on the business cycle or some other factor. It is great to see business doing well in Cicero and with continued Republican policies in effect, that trend will likely continue.”
Town attorney Robert Germain also gave $500 to Venesky’s campaign.
The majority of Venesky’s contributors are individuals or small businesses who gave $300 or less.
Town council candidates Richard Cushman and Vern Conway had no independent campaign filings. Their campaigns are financed through the Cicero GOP Committee, which currently has a total of $11,353.68 in its coffers. Of that, $6,846.05 was contributed in 2015. Notable contributions were as follows:
- $1,000 from Syracuse Sand and Gravel
- $500 each from Syracuse Haulers and Riccelli Enterprises
- $255 from Douglas Wickman
- $250 from Germain and Germain
Town Clerk Tracy Cosilmon, who files through the Cicero Republicans, a separate entity from the Cicero GOP Committee according to the New York State Board of Elections, filed a “No Activity Report” for the July 2015 activity period. As of January 2015, she had $347.69 in her campaign accounts. Cosilmon is running unopposed.
Highway Superintendent Chris Woznica, who is also running unopposed, has also filed a “No Activity Statement.” He has the exact same amount as Cosilmon – $347.69 – in his account as of January 2015.
No activity for Dems
There has been no activity in Democratic supervisor candidate Judy Boyke’s campaign finance account since she ran in 2013; she filed a “No Activity” statement for July of 2015. According to the board of elections’ public information office, such a statement means exactly what it sounds like.
“A ‘No Activity Statement’ means the committee is claiming they had no activity during the reporting period,” said John Conklin, director of public information for the board of elections. “They didn’t write a check, they didn’t accept a contribution, nothing.”
Boyke said the Democrats have just begun to schedule fundraisers for the 2015 elections.
“They have gotten a slow start,” she said in an email to the Star-Review. “Things should be heating up soon.”
According to her last filing, Boyke had $4,117.28 in contributions. Her largest contributor in 2013 was the Military Family Assistance Center of New York State, which donated $600 to her last campaign.
The Cicero Democratic Committee has not taken in any money since January of 2013. According to their January 2015 filing, they spent a total of $878.72 on office expenses and literature and had $628.91 remaining in their accounts. They had not filed a July 2015 periodic report.
Lynn Jennings, meanwhile, has been listed as “inactive” by the state Board of Elections since 2011, while newcomer Gary Williams is not listed at all.
Third District, Onondaga County Legislature
Tim Burtis has taken in a total of $20,141 and spent $4,766,35. He has $15,374,65 to spend.
Burtis himself is his largest contributor, donating $1,025 to his campaign. He has also lent his campaign $3,000 of his own money.
Burtis’ other major contributors are Syracuse Sand and Gravel, RLB Development LLC and MAC PAC, each of which contributed $1,000. Drivers Village, where Burtis is employed, also donated $1,000 to his campaign.
Sitting legislators Casey Jordan and Kevin Holmquist have also contributed to Burtis, as have Cicero Supervisor Jessica Zambrano and town attorney Robert Germain.
Challenger Ed Szczesniak has a total of $9,641.47 in his accounts, having taken in $14,481.01 and spent $4,839.54. Donors include several unions, including Iron Workers Local No. 60 and Teamsters Local 317, each of which contributed $1,000, as well as the PACs for sitting Democrats Dave Valesky, Al Stirpe and Stephanie Miner. The majority of his contributors are individuals who donated $200 or less.
To view campaign finance information, visit elections.ny.gov/CFViewReports.html.
