VILLAGE OF LIVERPOOL – After declaring in February that he intended to seek an eighth term as Liverpool mayor, Gary White has changed his mind. On April 10 he said he decided against running for reelection in the upcoming June 20 village election.
The 74-year-old mayor cited his reasons as family issues and retirement concerns. The decision clearly took some serious soul-searching.
“As a family, we had some long, thoughtful talks,” White said. “And I finally figured that after 26 years in village government, it’s time.”
White’s family recently lost its matriarch, his 96-year-old mother, and the mayor is the executor of her estate.
Since 1997, he has served 12 years as a trustee and 14 more as mayor.
White – a Republican – is a retired Syracuse Police Department deputy chief who oversaw general services, records and the uniform bureau before retiring to work in the automotive industry.
He served six terms as a village trustee and became deputy mayor during the Marlene Ward administration before first running for mayor in 2009. In that contested election, White prevailed over independent candidate Tom Stack by a vote of 291 to 154. In subsequent elections the incumbent mayor ran unopposed.
White is the 13th mayor of the village of Liverpool.
And on June 20, the village will elect a new mayor. White hopes to be succeeded by fellow Republican, former deputy mayor Christina Fadden.
“Chris Fadden has my complete backing,” he said. “As a trustee, she’s been on the village board the longest and is well-grounded in the operations of our village government. I think she’ll have the support of the village Republican caucus, too.”
That caucus, chaired by village GOP Chairman Joe Ostuni Jr., will convene at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 27, at the village hall, 310 Sycamore St. All village residents who are registered Republicans may participate.
The GOP caucus will nominate a candidate for mayor, and a candidate for trustee to fill the seat Fadden is vacating. Incumbent Republican Trustee Dennis Hebert is also expected to be nominated for reelection.
Though Democrats have not conducted a caucus since 2001, one is scheduled this year for 5:30 p.m. Friday, April 28, at 807 Oswego St., so it’s likely that the Republican candidates will have opponents on June 20.
