OGDENSBURG, New York (WWNY) – The city of Ogdensburg is working on filling the open seat on council left by Nichole Kennedy. We spoke with the former councillor to get her thoughts on the city and her former city council colleagues.
“The last four years have been nothing but a demise to the city of Ogdensburg under the Skelly administration,” she said.
Not pulling punches as she leaves Ogdensburg, recently-resigned City Councillor Nichole Kennedy has her opinions on Mayor Mike Skelly and believes Ogdensburg residents feel the same way.
“I think the residents have spoken out about that on numerous occasions. The most recent election where Mike (Powers), Dan (Skamperle) and I were re-elected, the poll numbers show that they didn’t want anyone who was associated with their beliefs taking over the seats that we had. We were all re-elected by a landslide,” she said.
While Kennedy did not have the kindest words for former colleagues, her feelings about the city and its residents are very different.
“When you take apart the political side of things and you look at it just from a standpoint of if someone in Ogdensburg needs something, the community rallies behind them,” she said.
Kennedy resigned Monday, recently moving to Saratoga with her family after her husband received a promotion. Now a vacancy committee will meet Thursday, selecting 3 candidates to present to the current council.
“The person who is selected by the council by vote will serve in that position, the vacant position, until December 31 of 2023,” said Andrea Smith, interim City Manager.
That appointed council member could then run for the seat as could anyone else in the November 2023 election.
“My wish is that there will be no majority versus a minority. That all of the councillors and new mayor will work together as one unit to improve our city,” said Kennedy.
Skelly did not want to comment on our story.
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