Candidates For Mayor of Oneonta Announce Intent To Run

On the heels of Gary Herzig's announcement that in 10 months he'll be retiring as Oneonta's mayor, announcements have surfaced from those intending to run for that position.

Democrat Mark Drnek who is currently the City of Oneonta  8th Ward Alderman and owner of Sweet Home Productions, was the first to announce his intent to run for mayor. On Tuesday, Drnek released a statement regarding his campaign and sharing the experience he would bring to the position via his work on the city council, co-chairing the "Survive, Then Thrive" initiative in Oneonta, and in creating a “Town-Gown Taskforce” currently with more than 50 representatives of the colleges and the community as committee members.

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Drnek says, “Working with so many creative and energetic supporters of Oneonta has been a dream, as has my time working with Council.  There are so many passionate, committed people on that team.”

To find out more about Mark Drnek and what his vision would be for Oneonta as mayor, visit 8thWardOneonta.com.

Following Drnek's announcement to run for mayor, Republicans Len Carson and Craig Gelbsman said they will also be running in the next mayoral election, according to AllOTSEGO. Carson is currently 5th Ward Alderman for Oneonta, a retired captain from the Oneonta Fire Department and also served as commander of Oneonta American Legion Post 259.

Craig Gelbsman is a former county board member, and owner of  First Choice Cleaners in Oneonta and Rage Productions where he acts as a concert producer and entertainment buyer.

Any mayoral candidates must circulate petitions and that will start as early as next week.

For more on this story, visit our publishing partner AllOTSEGO.com.