Our Downtown Revitalization Initiative is starting to take off. New facades, signage, and upper floor housing projects are popping up throughout our Downtown. However, there is work that needs to be done.
We must continue to spur private investment throughout our community.
The Oneonta Survive Then Thrive Marketing Committee is initiating a campaign to recruit new businesses and residents. As more people move into our community, we will need to add affordable housing for our current and new residents.
We will need to take bold action to address poverty in our community. We can start by energizing economic development programs and determining creative new strategies to bring good paying jobs to our community.
We will create a more supportive environment for small businesses and local entrepreneurs.
Through projects like the Lofts of Dietz, we can begin addressing housing affordability. The City can continue to be an active partner in helping organizations such as the Oneonta Chapter of the NAACP and Oneonta for Equality address systemic racism throughout our community. We can also continue to support the great work of organizations like LEAF, FOR-DO and Opportunities for Otsego.
We must take our success with our Downtown Revitalization Initiative and initiate community improvement projects throughout the City. Development of the East End’s waterfront, creating better pedestrian and biking infrastructure, reimagining Neahwa Park, redeveloping the railyards, and building more green infrastructure is just the beginning.
We need to gather and focus all the collective energies of the entire community; that includes a rethinking of public/private partnerships.
In Oneonta, we need a unifying goal:
To be informative and to allow EVERYONE to have the opportunity to be involved in brainstorming and engaged in activities to make life in our community better, more equitable, and more inclusive.
We, as community, need to be all in.
To make this happen, Oneonta needs someone who will roll up their sleeves and be a cheerleader, community organizer, consensus builder and salesman.
That’s the kind of effort that I can lead and that’s why I am running to be your next mayor.