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Councilman Notes ‘Better Days Are Coming’ In Run For Mayor

Andrew Liuzzo, At-Large Jamestown City councilman, pictured Saturday in front of A-1 Auto Service on Winsor Street in Jamestown as he announces his bid for mayor. Liuzzo noted the need for fiscal responsibility and sustainability in his address for mayor. Photo by Daryl Simons Jr.

“We have a big challenge in front of us for the city of Jamestown … better days are coming,” announced At-Large Jamestown City Council Andrew Liuzzo, during a speech announcing his candidacy for mayor.

Liuzzo made the announcement Saturday in the parking of A-1 Auto Service on Winsor Street in the city. Positioned with a decaying factory serving as a backdrop, Liuzzo addressed media and supporters why he is running for mayor — the same for why he ran for city council last year.

“I ran for office last year because I was tired of complaining. I wanted to make a difference,” Liuzzo said.

Liuzzo talked about his family, their immigration from Sicily, Italy, and his family’s academic and business success.

“That dream was achieved in Jamestown,” he said. “We were not in New York City. We were not in Chicago, not in Washington D.C. We had these opportunities here. We deserve to give these opportunities to our children, our grandchildren, and our great-grandchildren. There is no reason for us living as poor as we do here. America is a great country, and Jamestown is a great city.”

Photo by Daryl Simons Jr.

Liuzzo stressed the importance of fiscal responsibility and sustainability for the goal of restoring Jamestown, not just downtown, but the rest of the city. He argued that, “these efforts are not sustainable without addressing the rest of the city.”

When questioned for specifics on how to fix the budget issues in the city considering the tight budget, Liuzzo said “We could start some cuts if we start a real effort for shared services with the community around us. We don’t need to keep duplicating equipment that is already available. We could make more cuts by hiring more part-time help instead of full-time. There are ways.”

He added that he intends to pull together a team of well-educated individuals who have different ideas of how to better fix these budget issues.

Speaking on the state of the city beyond downtown, Liuzzo talked about the decay that’s plaguing buildings across the city. He suggested that instead of continually tearing down these structures, that rather reuse and recycle these buildings, in particular, old factories and warehouses.

“We are not recycling. We are not reusing what we have. We are letting it fall apart,” Liuzzo said. “Creating an environment that encourages city residents and small businesses to invest in themselves, and their community.”

As for homes, Liuzzo suggested a fund-matching program to help lower income individuals maintain their property. Outside of maintenance, Liuzzo talked about property taxes and housing values.

“It’s no secret that Jamestown’s property taxes are the highest in New York state. They can’t be raised any higher, we are at the 100% legal limit. Our housing values have dropped year after year,” he said.

But, property was not the only issue that Liuzzo noted during his speech Saturday.

“Our crime rate is at 10 percent of New York,” he said. “Our poverty rate in Jamestown is at 30 percent. We have a disturbing number of at-risk children. The median income for the city of Jamestown is just over $18,500. That is half of the $36,000 median income for the state of New York. From 1960 to 1970, our population was close to 60,000 people. Currently we are under 30,000.”

Liuzzo also talked about the lack of a proper gateway street entering into Jamestown.

“We don’t have one gateway street that exemplifies a nice, welcoming, inviting community,” he said. “We are so immune to the condition of Jamestown, that we don’t even notice it anymore. I bet that anyone out of town visiting would notice it, wondering what happened here.”

Beyond economics, Liuzzo addressed the political state of the city.

“For many years now, the city has been ruled by the few. And not governed as the city’s original charter intended,” Liuzzo said.

He compared the city charter from the time when Jamestown had over 40,000 people, to the one now that is noticeably larger even though Jamestown has under 30,000 people. He argued that this is because of many amendments created to give the mayor more authority. As mayor, Liuzzo said that he would “review these amendments to return to a more well-rounded city government.”

Liuzzo added that, “I believe that serving the public as an elected official is an honor and a privilege. It should never be a career choice.”

As for the future of Jamestown, Liuzzo shared his vision.

“I’d like to see Jamestown be a place where our young people stay,” he said. “Where they can start their families. Where they can have better paying jobs. A place where people who might have moved out might want to come back. We cannot establish ourselves as a national destination until we empower the residents who already live here.”

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