3 REPUBLICANS, 2 DEMOCRATS

3 More Candidates

Running For 5 Slots

On Common Council

Seth Clark, Jerid Goss, Joshua Bailey

Joining Len Carson, Scott Harrington

By JIM KEVLIN • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com

ONEONTA  ­–  A “Fusion Ticket” has surfaced over the weekend – Democrats Seth Clark and Jerid Goss, and Republican Josh Bailey – aiming to run for Common Council in Ward 2, 4 and 8 respectively.

Along with Republicans Len Carson (in Ward 5) and Scott Harrington (Ward 6), who announced plans to run Thursday and Friday, the emergence of the Fusion Ticket means at least one person will be running in November for Common Council slots in five of the eight wards where Council members are planning to retire.

CLICK HERE FOR MAP OF THE 8 WARDS

For now,  there’s no competition, but there’s still time for other candidates to surface.

The Fusion Ticket, according to a statement,  plans to focus on “economic development and jobs to the Greater Oneonta area, affordable housing, reducing taxes, and facilitating a stronger relationship between the city and colleges, which are the economic drivers for the area.”

Clark, who was reached a few minutes ago, operates his own student rental business out of his father’s Peter Clark Student Rentals on Main Street.  He said Goss works for Peter Clark rentals, and Josh Bailey is an legislative assistant in state Sen. Jim Seward’s Oneonta office.

Clark said he and Goss are Democrats, and Bailey a Republican.

The three met the other day, Clark said, and are particularly interested at exploring ways to keep SUNY and Hartwick students in the city after graduating from college.  One idea to accomplish that would be to develop an “incubator” for grads with an entrepreneurial bent, he said.

Incumbents retiring are Melissa Nicosia (Ward 2), Michelle Osterhoudt (4), Dana Levinson (5), Russ Southard (6) and Joe Ficano (8).