On the heels of a couple of thought-provoking and, for some, provocative editorials, we thought we would lighten things up a bit this week.…
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Carolyn Marks
New Oneonta Mayor Daniel Buttermann, a Democrat, was sworn in at City Hall on January 1. Fellow Democrat Carolyn Marks was also sworn in as councilmember for the 7th Ward by Oneonta City Court Judge Robert Gouldin.…
The key race in the city was the mayoral seat with Democrat Daniel Buttermann running against Republican Luisa Montanti. With 2,158 total votes cast, Buttermann won with 55 percent of the vote (1,195 votes) against Montanti’s 43 percent of the vote (938 votes).…
We have come to expect low voter turnout for off-year elections, and history shows that the party not in control of the government tends to benefit from this. We are, however, somewhat taken aback by what appears to be a lack of effort on the part of some of those running for office this year.…
Forster Rothbart was appointed to the 7th Ward council member seat in November 2024, following Bryce Wooden’s departure from Common Council. He has been serving in the position since January 2025.…
At a gathering on Saturday, July 25, City of Oneonta Mayor Mark Drnek said, “This afternoon, it is my distinct pleasure to introduce Cyril and Gail O’Reilly to the Oneonta community. They are the new owners of our historic Oneonta Hotel, which, with its next-door building, they’ve christened, ‘The Oney on Main.’”…
On Tuesday, December 3, the City of Oneonta’s Common Council initially declined to pass the tentative 2025 budget that they had approved on November 19. When put to a second vote, six of the seven council members consented to pass the 2025 budget of $20 million, with the caveat that there would be future budget cuts and solutions to cover the deficit while drawing down less of the reserves.…
The November 19 Oneonta Common Council meeting attracted about 25 concerned citizens, the equivalent of a full house. There were 20 motions on the agenda. The council debated various issues for more than four hours. Just before 10 p.m., the council approved the proposed 2025 budget and voted to exceed the tax cap. By this time, only three members of the audience remained. Two were city employees, Brian Knapp, the fire chief, and Chris Yacobucci, director of Public Works.…
Bassett Making Wrong Decision The decision by Bassett Healthcare Network to close FoxCare Fitness Center by the end of May is a travesty for the community and the over 700-plus current members of the healthcare facility. Bassett’s mission is, and should always remain as, to support wellness and fitness programs designed to encourage nutrition, exercise, and preventative health measures which ensure the health and well-being of people of all ages—this is especially important for adults living in our rural community.…
