TERM RUNS THROUGH DEC. 31

City Council Member

Osterhoudt Resigns

ONEONTA – Council member Michelle Osterhoudt, Fourth Ward, has announced she’s leaving Common Council Nov. 30, a month before her term expires, citing family obligations.

She didn’t run for a second term, and will be succeeded by fellow Democrat Kaytee Lipari Shue on Jan. 1.

“While I have enjoyed my position and truly love Oneonta and the Fourth Ward, it is clear that my obligations to my job and family have been in conflict with my position on Council,” she wrote in a statement. “I have decided to share this decision with the media first – so that the message comes from me.”

She was the first woman of color elected to the Common Council and served as the liaison to the city’s Commission on Community Relations and Human Rights.

Elected in 2015, Osterhoudt declined to run again for a second term, and threw her support behind Lipari Shue, who defeated Republican Jared Goss in the Nov. 5 elections.

“I also feel at peace with the decision because I believe that the new council will serve Oneonta well,” she said. “The Fourth Ward will benefit from Kaytee Lipari Shue – she is young, passionate, and truly loves Oneonta. We are in good hands.”

Mayor Gary Herzig said that he has not decided whether an interim will be appointed for the two Common Council meetings following Osterhoudt’s resignation.