The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Questions and answers from Oneida supervisors candidates
ONEIDA, N.Y. » Two candidates will be elected to represent Oneida City Wards 4, 5, and 6 on the Madison County Board of Supervisors. Three people, Lewis Carinci, Joe Ostrander, and Joe Magliocca, are running to fill this role.
The Dispatch sent questions to candidates in various Oneida races. See the Ward 4, 5, and 6 Supervisor Candidates’ responses below. Minimal editing/formatting may have been done for clarity.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
CARINCI
I’m Lewis Carinci I am running for Madison County supervisor for wards four, five, and six, as an Independent, (Make a difference). It was an honor and a pleasure to serve as their representative for over 10 years. I will again strive to work toward providing the community with the services we deserve. I have belonged to St. Joseph’s Church for over 40 years and have been a volunteer for many programs in the city of Oneida throughout the years. I have served as president of United Way and for the past 10 years I have been president / CEO of Wanderers Rest Humane Association. I also support various projects for the veterans, what they’ve given for us we can never give back enough. I have three wonderful daughters who are also excelling in life and helping their communities any way they can.
OSTRANDER
I have lived in Oneida for more than 25 years with my beautiful wife Linda and we have raised 3 wonderful children. I currently work at HP Hood. I currently hold the Supervisor position for Wards 4,5, & 6. I am the Co-chair of the Planning, Economic Development, Environmental & Intergovernmental Affairs Committee, and a member of the Administrative & Oversight Committee, Criminal Justice, Public Safety, and Emergency Communications Committee.
MAGLIOCCA
I reside in the house that I grew up in and was fortunate to see my daughter walk my same footprints growing up. It’s those wonderful memories of growing up in this community that have driven me to be a volunteer for almost 25 years.
Why did you want to run for this position?
CARINCI
I was asked to run again for this term and I decided yes we have to get back to the basics, which I mean giving back to the people, helping the people, being very open, and getting results. I will push for all our politicians to get more educated on how the government works such as government operations, county and city government budgets, and taking classes on emergency management.
OSTRANDER
I am seeking re-election for Supervisor Oneida City Wards 4,5 & 6 and I’d like to continue having a seat at the table to represent the City of Oneida residents at the county level.
MAGLIOCCA
To be a stronger voice in County Government representing the City. For too long, Oneida supervisors have not acted in unison for the best interest of the community that elected them. While many Oneida Supervisors have proven to be an asset to the County, they have failed to advocate for city residents.
Why do you believe you’re the best candidate for this position?
CARINCI
I believe my vast experience, as I quote Sheriff Todd Hood, “I’m sure you’ll all agree that, when it comes to local government, party affiliation shouldn’t matter, at the local level, it’s really about which candidates have the right experience and the leadership to do the job right.” I have the experience, the background, and most importantly the education through Cornell University, and other classes that pertain to government that I have taken. I think it’s essential that every politician takes classes to enhance your knowledge for what you’re voting on and why you’re voting on it.
OSTRANDER
I have developed a great understanding of the critical services that our county government provides our residents. I am a proud advocate for Wards 4, 5, & 6 and always take into consideration the residents’ best interest. I am very engaged and am in contact with the County Administrator on a weekly basis to check in on other committee business updates.
MAGLIOCCA
I have a long record of involvement in this community. It’s been said that I have an agenda, that I only care about parks and trails. I’ve chosen what I am passionate about, and have witnessed how that im
proves the quality of life of not only city residents, but our neighbors also. The Mt. Hope Reservoir, the Duross Conservancy, the former NYS Armory as our Recreation Department, and most recently the Oneida Rail Trail…all have my fingerprints on them.
What do you think the biggest issues facing the community are right now?
CARINCI
What I believe the biggest issue facing a community right now is the same issue we’ve had for many years and that is drugs and the disrespect for men and women in blue. Let this sink in, the city of Oneida has 11 politician members governing the city and only 24 policemen, that’s way out of proportion. We need less politicians, I believe we should visit the charter and make some changes such as maybe one supervisor instead of four. We need to invest more money and tools into our men and women of blue so they can do their job efficiently. If we’re going to solve the drug issue we have to do it with full force.
OSTRANDER
I think the biggest issue facing the community is bail reform and the inability for law enforcement to do their jobs efficiently to keep citizens safe. Bail reform legislation strips law enforcement’s ability to keep people safe by mandating criminals and some felons be released on appearance tickets when arrested. This legislation prevents law enforcement, District Attorneys, and Judges the discretion to put a dangerous criminal in jail. We need to support the repeal of Bail Reform and let the law enforcement community do their jobs effectively and efficiently.
MAGLIOCCA
The most significant issues facing our community are not Bail Reform, or the potential of Defunding the Police. These are a divisive scare tactic and partisan politics. At the end of this election, there will be a mix of Democrat, Republican, and Independent candidates elected. To move this community forward will take cooperation and trust, all candidates will be starting at zero because of partisan politics.
The biggest issues facing this community are the ongoing investigation into the Chamberlains office and the continuing breakdown between the City and County regarding leachate and biosolids disposal.
The City remarkably continues to blame Madison County for the WWTP upset in September of 2020. The DEC consent order, and the City’s own outside counsel requested engineering report from Ramboll Engineers, clearly states that the city’s prolonged plant mismanagement, combined with heavy loading from HP Hood caused the upset.
A year later…the City is still not accepting all of the leachate and is being charged a prorated amount for biosolids disposal. The County has spent over $500k for leachate disposal, and the city continues to pay tens of thousands of dollars a month for biosolids disposal, and an engineering firm to run the plant.
The residents of Oneida are getting hit twice, increased costs at the landfill mean increased tipping fees, which means garbage collection costs could increase. Costs for biosolids disposal and licensed operator costs could mean higher water/sewer rates.
A year past the upset, the City is still in violation of the agreement, and communication to settle this issue is lacking.
The Chamberlain’s office investigation spans 13 years, and enormous amounts of tax dollars are missing.
Keeping both items quiet helps candidates who have been in City government for the last 8-10 years.
What would you hope to achieve during your first 100 days in office?
CARINCI
In my first hundred days I would like to sit down with all the police forces throughout the area and find out what they truly need and find a way that we can accommodate the men and women in blue. I would also like to do as much as we could for the veterans. At the county level John Becker has been very aggressive and staying in front of everything. I will back him 100% to keep our county moving forward.
OSTRANDER
I am hoping to continue serving on the same committees and hope to move from Vice Chair to Chairman of the Planning Committee.
MAGLIOCCA
Well now…that depends on who is elected by this community, and their willingness to work with a lifelong Democrat, doesn’t it?