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Giannettino Becomes Auburn’s Newest Mayor on Monday

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After 16 years, Auburn will swear in its first new mayor on New Year’s Day.

Mayor-Elect Jimmy Giannettino was a guest on FLX Morning where he said his top two priorities for his first term are protecting the health of Owasco Lake and making sure Auburn and Cayuga County benefit from Micron moving into neighboring Onondaga County.

“We have serious water quality issues with Owasco Lake,” said Giannettino. “That’s something I’ve been directly involved in almost my entire time on council. That is probably the single most important thing that we face. That work is going to continue. Obviously, we have significant opportunity with Micron coming into Onondaga County. We know that’s going to spill over into Cayuga County and Auburn.”

Giannettino acknowledges that he has big shoes to fill, taking over for the man tied for the title of Auburn’s longest-serving mayor. He said he’s proud to have served with him as a city councilor.

“There’s a lot to be proud of. I feel we’ve made significant progress over the last eight to ten years,” he said. “A lot of that has to do with the leadership of Mike Quill. He’s been a great mayor; he’s provided steady direction for the City of Auburn… the progress is undeniable. Auburn is a much different place than it was ten years ago.”

After Mayor Mike Quill announced he would not run for a fifth term, Giannettino said he spoke with his family and friends and decided he should run. In November, he won his mayoral race against former mayor Tim Lattimore.

Christina Calarco and Rhoda Overstreet-Wilson will also be sworn in as Auburn’s newest city councilors. With these inaugurations, this will be the first time in Auburn’s history that City Council has been majority female. Overstreet-Wilson will also make history individually as the first African American to serve on the council.

The city will livestream the swearing-in at noon on its website.

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