By RICK MILLER
Olean Star
SALAMANCA — Former mayor Michael R. “Smitty” Smith announced on Facebook Sunday he plans to run again for mayor on the independent Salamanca Proud party line.
Smith, an enrolled Democrat who served four years as mayor from 2017 to 2021, said he did not plan to run on the Democratic line or seek Republican endorsement.
An enrolled Seneca, he was the city’s first Native mayor.
Mayor Sandra Magiera, a Democrat in her third two-year term, is expected to seek re-election.
Smith, a former radio personality on Olean and Salamanca stations, is retired.
Smith said he has assembled a lineup of people from each ward who are prepared to run under the Salamanca Proud banner with him. They are: Joann Hoag, Ward 1; Brian Murphy, Ward 2; Dylan Hackett, Ward 3; Lee Deboy, Ward 4 and Zach Tucker, Ward 5.
Smith and the other Salamanca Proud candidates can’t start circulating their independent nominating petitions until April 14. He said they need about 75 signatures to get on the November ballot. Political parties can start circulating petitions on Tuesday. They need to be filed by April 4.
Smith is urging voters not to sign others’ nominating petitions. If voters sign the petitions of party candidates, they can’t sign another petition.
“I’m not going to play the Democratic or Republican game,” Smith told the Olean Star. “I want to avoid a primary. I don’t want to walk around the city campaigning twice.”
What sparked Smith’s renewed interest in Salamanca politics?
“I had four pretty good years,” he replied. “Since then, I’ve sat back and watched. It’s grinded on me what has happened to Salamanca. I don’t see a lot of communication. I can’t figure out what’s happening.”
One thing that upsets Smith is the number of abandoned homes in the city — some of which have been taken over by people selling drugs. This cold weather seems to have put a crimp in that activity, he said.
These homes could be taken by the city through eminent domain, rehabbed by city employees in their downtime and sold to a family under a land contract. “There are jobs at the casino,” Smith said. The city needs new residents. “It’s time to stop tearing down houses and start rehabbing them,” he said.
The city continues to have a drug problem, Smith said. City police and the Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force continue to chip away at the drug problem.
Smith also credited Seneca Strong Mothers Against Drugs for their efforts. “They have done a good job in supporting this fight against drugs,” Smith added.
