Utica Mayor David Roefaro Ends His Political Career

Utica, NY (WIBX) - Utica Mayor David Roefaro says he will not seek re-election. Roefaro, standing beside his wife, Cindy Roefaro, says he's proud of his record and moving forward, his focus will be on his business and family life.

Roefaro says the next mayor will inherit more good than bad adding that, "They will oversee and finish the job of developing Harbor Point, the arduous parts of that project and that development have passed, but the decisive follow through will be needed to keep pace and progress going. The next mayor will inherit other successes, and I will be there as a reference should they call up on me. But after a combined decade as an elected official over ten years, I can confidently profess; In 2012,  I will not be one. I won't seek re-election as mayor."

Roefaro tauted his record as Utica's mayor saying he's kept promises made to residents. He says during his administration he has worked to lower the city's crime rate, which he says "boosts one of the lowest crimes rates in the millennium." The mayor said he worked to usher in numerous projects such as the city's "Master Plan", youth programs, Rust to Green Program, Cornell Cooperative Extention green initiatives, and says he also worked to abandoned "cherry picking planning" projects, reinvested in the city's urban core, and raised a lot of money for the city.

Roefaro says all the aforementioned initiatives has positioned Utica for success and says today, Utica is more relevant because of the work and projects his administration undertook. "I am happy to report that every promise I made as a candidate for mayor, and I mean every promise that I made, became a reality."