Mayor-elect Buttermann Talks Win, Transition, Priorities

By ERIC SANTOMAURO-STENZEL
ONEONTA

Dan Buttermann, a Democrat, won the recent Oneonta city mayoral election with 56.16 percent of the vote. Come January, he will succeed fellow Democrat Mayor Mark Drnek.

“I feel very fortunate to live in Oneonta, and even more fortunate that I get this chance to be a leader in the community that could hopefully make a positive difference,” Buttermann told AllOtsego in an interview. “My opponent, Luisa [Montanti], feels the same way that it’s important to be involved in the community.”

Expressing gratitude for his support and saying he will work hard to earn the confidence of those who did not vote for him, Buttermann said, “Ultimately what I want is our community to feel unified and that the challenges ahead of us we can face as one.”

Buttermann has previously unsuccessfully run for elected office, but that didn’t deter him. Those campaigns allowed him to get acquainted with the voters, he said.

“I didn’t feel rejected by the voters in Oneonta,” Buttermann shared, “and there was support there.” He continued to be involved in the community through “TEDx or the Concert Association, or even through Hartwick [College],” where he has served as a business lecturer.

Buttermann said the transition has already begun with a meeting with Mayor Drnek and City Administrator Greg Mattice last Friday.

“We’ll be doing that weekly,” he said, adding that he will also be meeting with department heads and other staff throughout the process.

Regarding the Oneonta Common Council, the city’s legislative body, Buttermann said, “I’m happy to say I already do know all of them and have had many interactions with all of them.” Given that all but one of them have already been in office, “they are established, and I’m looking to try to work with them and be the new person on the team that can help make a difference.”

Buttermann’s first priority in the transition is understanding the ongoing projects he’ll be taking over.

“We have to be acquainted with what is going on right now, and then also the kinds of projects that will be leading into 2026 and beyond,” he said.

In addition to continuing to build his relationship with city staff, Buttermann said his priorities for the first 100 days of his mayoralty will include filling various boards and commissions that have vacancies or scheduled reappointments.

Upon that foundation, he said, “Since it’s a four-year term, I want to think big.”

During the campaign, Buttermann expressed his hope that the Rehabilitation Support Services housing proposal would be successful. The project has drawn opposition from some community members, including his former mayoral opponent, Montanti.

As mayor, Buttermann told AllOtsego, he will work to build transparency and communication into the project.

“RSS has a responsibility, and so does the city,” he said, adding that “my job is to ensure that the communication is clear, that everyone can see and understand how the project is unfolding and being developed.”

Further, he said it would be important to address community concerns brought up during the development process and ensure “that we’re still holding them to those expectations of safety, communication, being a good neighbor,” objectives he believes RSS shares.

Buttermann said he plans to maintain a strong relationship with the neighboring Town of Oneonta.

“I think things like economic development are going to be areas where the city and the town should be looking to work together, because any economic activity in the city could have an impact on the town and vice versa,” he said.

He pointed to the proposed Eco-Yotta Inc. AI research center proposal as an example.

“That’s something that could easily be proposed in the city. Those kinds of projects would have an effect on the community overall,” he said.

With all the new responsibility, Buttermann still hopes to find time for himself and his family.

“I get to play music with my wife, who’s a musician here,” he said, and sometimes he will play with the Catskill Symphony Orchestra. “I also have three kids, one in the high school and two in the middle school, and they’re involved in a lot of activities. I love going to those activities, whether they go to dance or sports.”

Buttermann said he also enjoys watching soccer to unwind.

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