Several officials advised Sherburne on need to get revised charter on November ballot

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Comments from Mayor Amy B. Sherburne that were not available when the story was first published appear at the end of the story.)

By RICK MILLER

Olean Star

OLEAN — Two Olean aldermen, the chairman of the Olean Charter Review Commission and then-mayor Bill Aiello communicated with Mayor Amy B. Sherburn about the revised charter the commission approved last year.

Yet, the charter remains in limbo. The referendum needed to be submitted to the Cattaraugus County Board of Elections by Aug. 3, to be placed on the November ballot.

The mayor said Tuesday the charter was approved by the charter commission prior to her taking office. She said she thought someone else was responsible for getting it on the ballot.

Former Olean Mayor James Griffin, the chairman of the charter commission, suggested Friday that Sherburne was mistaken when she said earlier that it was not true that her office hadn’t reached out to him in response to his email about the charter.

Griffin said he first alerted the mayor of the charter issue on Dec. 8, before she began serving as mayor, and again in January 2026. The Mayor’s Office contacted him on Monday, he said.  

Upon approval of the final draft of the revised charter,  the charter commission recommended on Sept. 25, 2025, that a public hearing be held and public referendum for the election Nov. 3, 2026.

Griffin told the Olean Star on Friday that he was disappointed the charter won’t be on the November ballot. “The mayor has to act. She sat on it for nine months. I would like to see it move forward. I offer my assistance in any way I can help.”

The Mayor’s Office contacted the Board of Elections over the summer to ask about the timeline for getting the charter on the November ballot.

After missing the 2026 deadline, the options include holding a special referendum that city voters would pay for, or wait until November 2027 and put it on the regular ballot.

Former Common Council President Vernon Robinson Jr., who along with Alderwoman Sonya McCall, was a member of the charter commission, said he sent at least two emails this year and spoke twice with Sherburne about the need to get the revised charter on the ballot.

Robinson confirmed Griffin’s offer to the mayor to help promote the charter. “She talked to Bill Aiello too,” he said. 

There’s no question Sherburne knew about the charter, Robinson said. There were two sets prepared, one that highlighted changes, which were provided to the mayor, he said.

“I personally believe she dropped the ball,” Robinson said.

The revised charter, which the charter commission worked on for more than a year, streamlined things, Robinson said. 

“There was a lot of stuff in there (charter) that just did not pertain anymore, or it was just old information,” Robinson said. “So that was all cleaned up, and it was supposed to be on the ballot this year. And I was highly disappointed. I know I’ve been saying it to whomever would listen that I was highly disappointed that that was not in there.”

McCall, who was also a charter commission member, confirmed to the Olean Star that she had also spoken with Sherburne over the charter getting on the ballot.

Sherburne replied that her office reached out to Griffin in June to ask what the situation was.

“There was a canceled public meeting during Bill’s administration in December of 2025,” Sherburne said late Friday. “I asked for a copy of the charter in December from Micheko and she told me the lawyers still had it. I never was given direction on steps or dates. Sonya and Vernon told me they were on the commission and never told me it was up to the mayors office to set a date, mind the cut off date for ballot. No one from the clerk’s office instructed this.”
The mayor explained: “Griffin said, whatever you need, I can help. Yes. We requested it in June. He gave me no direction. Neither did the two council members. No attorney reached out to the office. And, from what I read in the charter, the legislative body is responsible.”

Sherburne also sent excerpts of replies to questions she obtained from nysenate.gov that stated: “The charter commission ultimately fileas the proposed charter/revisions with the city clerk for submission to the voters.” The commission also “conducts public hearings and determines times and locations.”