VILLAGE OF FAYETTEVILLE – Mike Small has won the election to become Fayetteville’s next mayor over Sara Bollinger.
Small has served as the deputy mayor of Fayetteville for the last two years. In the race against Bollinger, Small came out ahead 629 votes to 465 according to the unofficial tally by the Onondaga County Board of Elections.
Small ran as an independent candidate representing the Balance Party line, and Bollinger, the deputy supervisor for the Town of Manlius, ran as a Democrat and had passed an independent petition for a party called The Bridge.
Small was appointed to the position of village trustee in Fayetteville by former Mayor Henry McIntosh and then voted into the seat by the public in 2002. Small proceeded to sit on the village board beside McIntosh for the last stretch of his tenure as mayor and then Mark Olson for the entirety of his time as mayor. Olson stepped down from the mayor’s seat in January after being reelected to a second term as 10th District Onondaga County legislator in order to abide by a code of ethics section preventing him from holding both elected offices.
“I’ve enjoyed the experience of being trustee for many years and working with former mayors and board members to formulate the village as we know it today,” Small said. He said that as deputy mayor he has had a greater glimpse into what the role of mayor entails behind the scenes.
Small said he is “humbled” by the fact that over 600 villagers voted for him this year in the March 19 election.
“I believe that while campaigning I tried to express to them my abilities, what I’ve done and what I’ve hoped to do, and my openness to their ideas and their thoughts,” he said. “I just appreciate that everybody did take the time to come out and vote, and I hope that their confidence in me will continue as we go forward and I lead this community.”
Small, 62, is a lifelong resident of Fayetteville, and he said he has always been “community-minded.”
He said that has included being president of the board for the Manlius Historical Society as well as a member and former chairman of the board of directors for the Fayetteville Senior Center. Small says his involvement with those organizations has led him to learn from different walks of life and know how to face and overcome struggles having to do with staffing and financial support.
Through his role as manager for the Eaton-Tubbs Fayetteville Chapel of Schepp Family Funeral Homes for more than 40 years, Small said he has interacted with many people within the community, particularly during difficult times in their lives. He said his job as a funeral director has also allowed him to understand how to listen to people’s needs and wants.
Small said he admires the history of Fayetteville and that he’s enjoyed being able to serve as a village representative. He said he looks forward to the challenges that await him as mayor and that he seeks to work with the other trustees and the different department heads to maintain what makes Fayetteville an enjoyable place to live while also continuing its growth for the benefit of the residents and enhancing events like the annual Fayetteville Festival, summer concerts and the Party in the Plaza gatherings.
As mayor, Small said he will focus on making communication with the public one of his strongest assets, which will involve interacting with people more often outside of board meetings, disseminating as much information as he can, and making himself available to people when they wish to express their ideas, voice their concerns and ask questions.
He said he also intends to concentrate on green initiatives, fiscal responsibility, and grant opportunities available to the village.
“I look forward to collaborating with neighboring communities and obviously our assembly members and senators to see what benefits we can bring to the village of Fayetteville,” Small said, adding that he has taken notes from Olson and McIntosh when it comes to meeting with other political leaders representing different towns, villages and counties as well as the state and federal levels.
Small said the platform for his Balance Party combines learning from the past with looking what is needed presently and planning for the future.
In the days ahead, someone will be appointed to fill the trustee seat Small is leaving behind. Because the village’s elections have moved from March to November as a result of the recently passed ballot proposition, the position would be an open seat in the general election this coming November, at which point the person elected would refill the vacancy. After two years, they would have to run again for a regular four-year term in 2026.
