Mayor’s Effort To Crown Katz Now In Doubt

1-22-10

COOPERSTOWN

Saying he’s received “a tremendous amount of support,” Village Trustee Joseph J. Booan, Jr., is running for mayor of Cooperstown.
“I want to be part of solutions here,” said Booan.  “And I think residents deserve a choice in the upcoming election.”
His nomination by the Republican village caucus, which convenes at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 21, at 22 Main, would foil plans to throw GOP backing to Democratic Village Trustee Jeff Katz.  The Democrats were expected to nominate Katz at their caucus, at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 20, also at 22 Main.
If that double-endorsement plan, crafted by retiring Mayor Carol B. Waller – her husband, Bill, is GOP village chairman – were to succeed, there would be no choice for mayor in the Tuesday, March 16, village elections.
Asked if he intended to back the Democrat in favor of the Republican, Bill Waller said Tuesday, Jan. 19, “that changes right now.
“When Katz was the only person interested in running for mayor, naturally I would support him,” he said.  “Who am I supporting?  I won’t make that decision before the nomination.  If he’s decided to run, I have to think it over.”
Would he follow his wife’s lead?  “A number of people have made a number of very, very incorrect assumptions,” was his reply.
Recounting what usually happens at a caucus, the GOP chair said he’ll name a temporary chairman, who will seek nominations for a caucus chairman; last year, it was Waller.
The chairman will name a caucus secretary and treasurer, and will then ask for nominations for mayor.  If there is more than one candidate, there will be a secret ballot, and the candidate with the lower vote will drop out.
The chair will then do the same for the two trustee vacancies, then the village justice vacancy.
Asked about a Booan candidacy, Village Democratic Chair Rich Abbate mused, “This could be a very interesting race, I can see,” adding, “I think our candidate (Katz) is more qualified.”
At the Democratic caucus, he expected county Chair Ed Lentz to nominate the temporary chair, probably Hank Nicols, Abbate’s predecessor, and the same process will ensue.
Abbate thought he had two candidates for trustee – Shelby Cooper and Steve Mahlum – but both pulled out.  As of Tuesday, he had none other than incumbent Lynne Mebust, who plans to run again.  Waller said he had no candidates for trustee.
For village justice, Leslie Friedman, who has been appointive village justice under Enid Hinkes, is seeking the Democratic nod.  Two local lawyers are reported interested in the Republican nod.
Asked about a Booan candidate, Katz said, “The idealist me believes democracy is always better with competition,” adding, “I hope the populace believes I’m the better candidate.”
He said he doesn’t plan to attend the Republican caucus, saying, “It’s not my business.”
“The Republican nomination is nothing I’ve been involved in other than I know I have a pretty strong group of Republican supporters,” he said.  “It’s up to the caucus to decide who runs.”
For his part, Booan said he sat down with Nick Savin, the BOCES superintendent, who is “completely in support of what I’m doing.” 
Booan, former principal of BOCES’ Otsego Area Occupational Center, was recently appointed to one of two directors, one for curriculum, one for administration, Savin’s right-hand people
Since he has only served as trustee for a year, he had been reluctant to run.
“But a lot of folks came to me and said, please reconsider,” Booan said.  “I’m going to make this work.  I want to be mayor.  I want to be part of a solution.”