Supervisor-elect Discusses Future Plans

By ERIC SANTOMAURO-STENZEL
ONEONTA

After running a vigorous campaign for Oneonta Town Supervisor, Democrat Will Rivera was elected with around 57 percent of the vote earlier this month. According to available records, Rivera will be the first Latino town supervisor of Oneonta.

Due to most local elections changing to even years going forward, another supervisor race will occur in 2026. Rivera shared with AllOtsego that he will be running for re-election then.

“So I really have a lot to figure out between the role and running another campaign, being a dad, a husband, and having a professional life as well,” Rivera said.

Rivera’s victory is a sea change in the town, where in the 2023 election Republican Randal Mowers ran unopposed and in 2021 won with around 77 percent of the vote against Teresa DeSantis, who also just won a seat on the town board this month. Rivera will succeed his opponent, Interim Town Supervisor Brett Holleran, a Republican who took over after Mowers’ health-related resignation and will remain a town board member.

“I think the attribution for this goes down to focusing in on listening and serving the people,” Rivera said of his victory in an interview with AllOtsego. He said his listening-first approach “shifted a lot of people’s votes and their way they’re looking at town government.” He added that being “relentless” in his campaigning with a “grassroots movement” pushed him across the finish line.

“I’m so appreciative of it,” Rivera said.

Rivera’s campaign included an unusually active social media presence among Otsego County candidates. He said he plans to bring that communication style to Oneonta Town Hall.

The town does not have a public affairs office, which Rivera said will offer a “learning process for me to understand the town’s capabilities.” He committed to using his own social media platforms to “highlight a lot of supports, a lot of services, what’s going on in the community” and to ensure people are informed that meeting agendas are publicly available.

“I think people just want to see what’s happening,” Rivera said.

Rivera said he held his first transition meeting with Holleran last week, and spoke with Town Clerk Ryan Pereira this past Monday. He said his transition team includes Democrats Jill Basile, a 14th District Otsego County Representative, Eamonn Hinchey, the recent winner for the 4th District, and Patricia Jacob, a former Oneonta town board member. Rivera plans to attend a supervisor training in January.

Rivera was also recently elected to the New York State Democratic Party’s State Committee to represent the 122nd State Assembly District. Caitlin Ogden, the Otsego County Democratic Committee’s Chair, nominated Rivera.

Upon taking office, Rivera said, his first priority will be the January reorganization meeting and getting meeting agendas online more quickly. He plans to “welcome all the community members to our meetings through having either an open house” or a “community town hall” so that residents can interface with government officials outside of the more formal meeting structure.

After that, Rivera said, is the comprehensive plan process. The Town of Oneonta’s last comprehensive plan, a document under New York State law that lays out a community’s long-term goals with particular attention to land use, was adopted in 2014 after having been commissioned in 2012.

Rivera said he will create an “ad hoc group to start preliminary discussions” and identify “what fundings are out there for us” to develop the plan. “The comprehensive plan is a community guided procedure, and so it’s not about me, right? It’s about what the individuals on the committee want.” He said the process will be guided by survey responses.

Going through the community over the last several months, Rivera said he heard “people want their neighborhoods to stay family oriented.” He noted it was “great” that some conversations have already been happening about short-term rentals.

“Number two is people are worried about what they have been seeing in recent years from the town board regarding spot zoning, or rezoning, or [Planned Development District] approvals,” Rivera added. Residents “want a balance of smart development, but also protecting the community from any harmful projects.”

Rivera also committed to creating a “community board committee” that will focus on “community level issues, events, mutual aid, all sorts of avenues of ways that individuals can get engaged with local government” outside of the more formal structures like the planning and zoning boards.

The town supervisor role is part time. The town board currently meets the second Wednesday of every month.

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AllOtsego, “The Freeman’s Journal” and “Hometown Oneonta”
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