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Nicoletti, Snyder run for Syracuse Common Council in special election

Tom Magnarelli
/
WRVO News
Syracuse Democratic Councilor Joe Nicoletti (left), Republican Joe Snyder.

Syracuse Common Councilor Joe Nicoletti is running to retain his seat after being appointed last year when former Councilor Pamela Hunter was elected to the Assembly. Nicoletti, a Democrat, is being challenged by Republican Norm Snyder, who said Nicoletti is using his position to further his own political career.

Nicoletti has not said if he will or will not run for mayor of Syracuse next year when current Mayor Stephanie Miner’s term ends. But Snyder said he thinks Nicoletti’s intentions for returning to the Common Council are clear.

“He’s in it to become mayor, it’s been a lifelong dream of his. His mouth waters thinking about becoming mayor of Syracuse,” Snyder said.

Nicoletti and Snyder said they are both focused on crime in Syracuse. Snyder is calling for the hiring of more police officers.

“These police officers are our heroes, they’re being overworked," Snyder said. "The amount of overtime we’re spending, our dollars buy a lot of regularly, hourly police officers. Having police officers tired, the crime rate, because they are undermanned, is where it is now.”

Nicoletti agrees the city should hire more police but goes one step further.

“Fill the vacancies that currently exist but also we need to make the police department reflect the community it patrols,” Nicoletti said. "My goal is to work to eliminate the violent shootings. My goal is to provide jobs."

And when the Interstate 81 project takes off in Syracuse, Nicoletti wants city residents on the job.

“If we can at least put 100 people to work that are unemployed, give them job training, the impact for several years will be felt,” Nicoletti said.

Nicoletti served on the Common Council in the 1980s, passing legislation for minority-owned businesses, imposing term limits, mandatory smoke detectors and elevator safety.

Snyder laments over the potholes in Syracuse and said the amount of money invested into education over the years have produced sub-par results.

"Here we are going into the winter, there's potholes from the spring that aren't filled yet," Snyder said. "It is not a good business decision, it is only going to get worse."

It is Snyder’s third attempt at running for Common Council in a city dominated by Democrats. 

Tom Magnarelli is a reporter covering the central New York and Syracuse area. He joined WRVO as a freelance reporter in 2012 while a student at Syracuse University and was hired full time in 2015. He has reported extensively on politics, education, arts and culture and other issues around central New York.