OSWEGO, NY – William “Dave” White is president, but he wants to be mayor.
On Thursday afternoon, the out-going president of the Oswego City School District’s Board of Education officially kicked off his campaign to become the next mayor of the Port City.
Dozens of family members and supporters, including various candidates for city and county positions, applauded White’s announcement outside the Republican Headquarters on West Utica Street.
“I want to thank everybody who showed up. I really appreciate it,” White said. “I do want to thank the committee for their support. As a candidate, I’ll work as hard as I can for them.”
He took a moment to specifically recognize his family. His wife, Sandy; son, Justin; daughter, Christina and “my two pals, Abigail and Zachary (grandchildren).”
“The first promise I had to make was to Abigail and Zachary,” he explained. “They said, ‘If you get to be mayor, we gotta light the (city Christmas) tree.’ So, I promised them that.”
His wife “wasn’t too crazy about this,” he admitted.
But said if it was what he wanted to do, she’s support him.
When he told the committee members she was onboard with the idea, one told White, “That’s good because she’s gonna get more votes than you anyway,” the candidate joked.
White said his emphasis will be on jobs and new business creation and the quality of life in Oswego.
He said he can’t do it alone.
“I have got to have everybody here help me do it,” he pointed out. “This is not an ‘I’ thing – it is a ‘we’ thing. Without your help, I can’t get there. I want to start here today to get on West Oneida and West First Street January first!”
White stressed his “can do” philosophy regarding economic development.
Development needs to focus on the entire city, not just its waterfront, he said.
“We need to recognize the strengths of our water resources and capitalize on them,” he added.
White is a lifelong resident of the area, having graduated from Oswego High School in 1958. He later graduated from SUNY Oswego, Class of 1992.
He is not a newcomer to the political arena. He served on the Oswego Town Board for three years and was Town of Oswego supervisor for 14 years.
He is stepping down from the Oswego school board in July after six year, serving as board president this past year (g=his third one-year term).
“This journey that we started today, I need a lot of help to get there. I can only get things done if I’ve got the support of everybody here, plus a lot of other people,” he said Thursday.
Paul Santore, chair of the city Republican Committee, feels confident about White’s chances n this fall’s election.
“I think he’s a shoe-in,” he said.
For more information about White’s “It’s About The People” campaign, visit www.winwithwhite.com
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What “People” is this “About”? His own kin? He’s never done much unless it benefits himself or his inner circle. Just my own obersvation from watching him on the school board, as Oswego Town Supervisor, as CSEA President etc etc etc