OSWEGO – John Fitzgibbons sees his new role as the 4th Ward Common Councilor as an opportunity to help Oswego residents. “I didn’t run against anybody; in my mind, I ran for the opportunity to contribute,” said Fitzgibbons.
4th Ward Councilor, Shawn Walker, did not run for re-election.
“I think inherently, the citizens of Oswego, the citizens of the 4th ward, are good people. They are thoughtful and create an environment that allows dialogue and helps us achieve what we want to achieve,” said Fitzgibbons.
Elected as a Democrat, Fitzgibbons was once the Democratic Party’s county chairman in the 1990s. “I was a part of the State Democratic Party when they set up the Democratic rural conference,” said Fitzgibbons, “which was to help recenter the Democratic Party to rural issues.”
His father, John Fitzgibbons, was a two-term mayor and a Democrat.
“Party affiliation might play some role, but ultimately, good outcomes for the community are not partisan,” said Fitzgibbons.
A goal of Fitzgibbons includes a shared community vision. “Creating a census will take time. I think it’s the ingredient for success. It may not be perfect in how it’s achieved, but I think we constantly must push for that and a good outcome for our community,’ said Fitzgibbons.
A common sentiment expressed by Fitzgibbons during the interview was the search for a ‘balance point of co-existence’ among groups in Oswego, and no vilification of any one group.
“For example, generally, people in a car want to get to their destination as quickly and efficiently as possible. That’s often achieved with right-on-reds. However, right on reds can be somewhat perilous for pedestrians,” explained Fitzgibbons. “It advances traffic in a way that makes it less predictable at intersections. Without vilifying or saying there is an exact answer, we must recognize the conditions of what we have, and then over time find a path that accommodates all those involved.”
Citing societal pressures, Fitzgibbons says the quality of neighborhoods is declining due to issues like petty crime. While violent crimes are not very common in Oswego, property crimes like larceny are.
“Of course, at the background of petty crime is mental health and addiction,” said Fitzgibbons. “Those are things that not one municipality can fix, but vigilante awareness of how to interact in a way to produce better outcomes is a goal.”
Recognizing that there is no waving of a magic wand to solve these problems, Fitzgibbons believes progress can be made slowly through social interaction.
Fitzgibbons graduated from St. John Fisher’s University with a business degree in 1980. At that time, he initially entered the business with his father at his insurance agency in Oswego.
From that point forward, Fitzgibbon’s career has been in the property & casualty insurance industry. “It is most notably insurance for businesses, homes, and people,” said Fitzgibbons. “Much of my career has been in commercial insurance for businesses.”
Fitzgibbons has been operating his insurance agency since 2003. It maintained a partnership with Pathfinder Bank from 2011 to 2024. He then sold it to Marshall and Sterling Insurance, where he currently works.
Fitzgibbons works with his wife, Tara Fitzgibbons. Fitzgibbons calls his partnership with Tara the most significant of all his partnerships. “I found myself with a partner that is incredibly intelligent, incredibly hardworking, and the success we’ve achieved in the agency is in large part due to our ability to work together, and we work together well,” said Fitzgibbons.
“I see my commit to the city, and I happen to be a Democrat. My energy and forward motion will be on the behalf of the city,” said Fitzgibbons. “I will show by way of my hard work that good outcomes are not exclusive to any one part. I don’t see this as a partisan thing. Knowing who is on the council, these are all people will common goals. We will do the right thing for the community, I really mean that.”
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