Tim Lattimore is once again running for Mayor of Auburn.
I don’t want to be a ceremonial mayor; I want to be a proactive mayor.
Speaking with Finger Lakes News Radio, Lattimore said, if elected, one of his priorities will be to increase manufacturing in the city.
Citing the work of Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon in helping to get Micron to build its facilities in the county, Lattimore wants to see “spin-off” businesses taking root in Auburn. He added that the city can’t be reliant on Micron and that it will be necessary to attract other manufacturers to the city. Specifically, Lattimore believes the former Alco/Bombardier building would be the perfect spot for drone manufacturing.
Another priority for the former mayor, should he attain a second term, would be to improve the quality of the city’s drinking water.
Lattimore is not a fan of the current administration’s efforts to protect the lake, believing that the charcoal filtration system in use for the city’s drinking water is unnecessary. Previously, he had fought against adding fluoride to the water.
“The past council has taken seven years in order to try to write some kind of regulations,” Lattimore said. “The only thing we need is to adopt a New York City watershed rules and regulations.”
Lattimore wants to push for stricter regulations and a greenbelt along the lake. He also wants dams in the creeks that feed to slow down the speed of water.
Lattimore, who served as Auburn’s mayor from 2004-2007, has run in the last four elections, losing each time to Michael Quill. He says he’s not giving up.
“I’ve run and won and I’ve run and lost, and winning feels a lot better than losing. But I want to teach kids that you don’t give up just because you fail… if you love something that you do, keep doing it even though you might not win every time,” Lattimore said.
The Republican faces off against Democratic City Councilor Jimmy Giannettino in the November election.
If elected, Lattimore will be only the second mayor in Auburn’s history to serve nonconsecutive terms, the first being Charles Devens Osborne who served from 1928-1931 and 1936-1939.
