OLEAN — And then there were three.
Jared Isaman, an Olean firefighter and paramedic has thrown his hat into the Olean mayoral race.
He’s seeking the Republican nomination along with Mayor William J. Aiello and businesswoman Amy Black Sherburne, and is a looking for the Conservative Party endorsement.
Isaman posted the following announcement on Elect Jared Isaman Mayor of Olean, NY:
“My name is Jared Isaman and I am announcing my candidacy for Mayor of the City of Olean. I moved to Olean in 1989 with my parents when my father, Pastor Ron Isaman, was hired by Christ United Methodist Church. I graduated from Olean High school and went on to college where I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Sports Medicine. I met my wife, Erin, who was born and raised in Olean. We have been proudly married for almost 23 years. We chose to stay in Olean and raise our four amazing children. I have spent the last 22 years serving this community as a member of the Olean Fire Department, most recently as a captain/paramedic. I would like to bring that same sense of service to this city as mayor. What I stand for is summed up quite easily in three things: improve Infrastructure, keep the services we have and get creative to increase city revenue.
Investing in Infrastructure needs to be a top priority. We need to heavily invest in our aging infrastructure and build out from there. Too often we are seeing projects where “beautification” is the priority but aging water and sewer lines are left untouched. Roads citywide are wrought with potholes due to neglect and spending elsewhere. Walkable Olean might appeal to some of our citizens, but making it drivable needs greater consideration. Public services and public safety are huge. We cannot continue to simply cut services in an attempt to keep taxes down. We need to look into all departments and services within the city to increase efficiencies.
My time as a city employee allows me valuable insight into where to start looking for savings. Sharing services and retooling how we do things within the city has the opportunity to save us money in the long term. Increasing City Revenue. The best way for a small city to keep taxes in line is to increase revenues coming into the city. Taxpayers can’t consistently foot the bill for everyone that comes into our community. We cannot continue to let large businesses land outside the city lines, and we should be doing all we can to retain the businesses that are already here. These businesses that sell goods and services are what keep the city going. We need to think outside the box to find new ways to bring in increased revenue. If elected, I will consider any and all suggestions.
I will be open, honest, and transparent with the public from day one. Anyone that knows me personally, can attest to that. I have always tried to treat everyone with respect and dignity in every interaction I have had as a member of Olean Fire, and that won’t differ in this new role. Change won’t happen overnight, but I promise to put in the work and stay committed to move this city in a positive direction. My focus is on the future, not dwelling on the past. I’m not here to place blame. Our energy is best spent moving forward with real solutions.
Together, we can build a stronger, brighter city for all.”
