JAMESTOWN – Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi said his search for a person to fill a vacant City Council At-Large seat remains ongoing.
During an interview with WNYNewsNow Wednesday morning, Teresi said that, contrary to previous similar searches, a great number of people have shown interest in filling the position.
“We’ve had a tremendous level of interest, and I think that is very good, it’s very positive, it’s very welcomed,” Teresi said. “It shows that people care and are interested in getting engaged in the planning and operation of our city, which wasn’t necessarily the case in three previous vacancies that I was involved in filling.”
Teresi noted that he, just before speaking with WNYNewsNow, wrapped up an interview with an interested candidate. The Mayor added that he is in constant communication with members of the City Council to make sure they’re aware of how the process is going. He estimated that 10 people have expressed interest.
Teresi said he expects, within the next week or so, to narrow the list and discuss it with various members of the council. He said he hopes to bring a formal nomination at the regular City Council voting session on Jan. 28.
The mayor declined to give specific names of the candidates, citing that “it wouldn’t be fair” for all of the parties involved. Teresi said, however, that the candidates come from all walks of life.
Teresi explained that the process is a rather difficult one for him, but he said that’s ultimately a positive for the City of Jamestown.
“It’s ultimately very, very good for the process, and it’s ultimately good for the City of Jamestown, because I think it helps to ensure that we are going to have a very quality individual coming forth,” Teresi said.
According to the Mayor, a candidate must be at least 18, be a legal citizen of the City of Jamestown, and they must be a registered Democrat. City Charter dictates that a person of the same party as a person who resigns takes over the vacant seat.
Democrat Vanessa Weinert resigned last month from her City Council At-Large seat, citing personal reasons. When asked for Teresi’s thoughts on the impact Weinert had on the City of Jamestown, he said he was a “fan” of hers from the beginning.
“I’ve been a fan of Vanessa Weinert’s for awhile. I think she is a high-quality, very intelligent, energetic, passionate individual that loves our community,” Teresi said. “I was thrilled when she decided to run back in 2017 for the City Council. I was more than thrilled the night she was elected, and I was very glad to see her seated on the City Council.”
“I think she did good work when she was on the City Council, and I was very sorry, given personal and family circumstances, that she needed to step back….She did the right thing from a personal standpoint. Family always needs to come first.”
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