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Guest Column: Mayor Gerry Messmer

“We need someone to step up”

The following is one in a series of columns about life in Odessa written by Mayor Gerry Messmer.

ODESSA, Oct. 14, 2024 -- As we roll into the Holiday Season, I hope everyone gets a chance to slow down, spend time with family and loved ones and be thankful for all we have, especially during Thanksgiving. It is always a favorite time of year for me. The leaves changing, the weather getting cooler and then the family gathering around Thanksgiving and Christmas make me happy.

If you have a chance, please stop by or call the office to welcome Alissa Snyder, our new Clerk/Treasurer. She is doing a great job, but is also raising young kiddos, so if she is out from time to time as many moms are, please be patient, family first! Also, congratulations to Pam Kelly, who is retiring from the clerk's post! Pam came to us at a critical time and did an exemplary job keeping Odessa straight. We will miss Pam, but it is time for her to have family time and relax after a long career as well.

The entire village board would also like to recognize our fellow board member Kristine "Sparky" Gardner, who took an awesome position at the Bath VA office and has excelled beyond belief, as expected! Recently, Sparky was awarded the New York State Department of Veteran Services Rookie All-Star 2024 Award, earned for averaging over 80 total claim submissions monthly. She truly is a rockstar for VA and a champion of Veterans! Quite frankly, I have never seen a VA rep like her!

Over the last seven years it has been my pleasure to serve as your mayor, but the time has come for me to retire and focus on my wife and family, completing 39 years of overall public service. I will not seek re-election in 2025, and the March board meeting will be my last. That means we need someone to step up and run for mayor. Along with the mayor position we will have two board positions up for election/reelection.

I really hope some folks will step up to fill these vacancies to move Odessa to the next level. It is a small village, but really needs the village board and village municipal government to protect it. There is much to do yet and Odessa is getting back on the map with our infrastructure upgrades, sidewalks and new village facility, to name a few things. It is a great community and if you haven’t noticed, houses here do not stay on the market long. People really want to live here. Cathy and I love the community!

The role of mayor is not complicated and does not take any special training or experience, just good old common sense and an ability to work with the village board as a team. Whoever is elected will get my help for a smooth transition. The professionals helping us with the water project, JHA Engineers, Municipal Solutions and others are top-notch folks who will continue to take care of the village. They will guide you every step of the way.

If you are interested, please contact the office right away. There are processes that must be followed in accordance with the state election procedure. Alissa can help you. Most importantly is getting your petition signed by the proper number of registered voters and submitted before the deadline.

It is a part-time position, and with a solid Deputy Mayor -- like I have had with Tom Letteer -- the tasks can easily be split, making things smoother. The Board members attend one monthly board meeting and then one budget working group meeting each March. We have a great team right now, and with two board members staying on you will have great continuity to keep things rolling. Please consider stepping up to run for one of the three positions. Odessa needs you!

Photo in text: Odessa Mayor Gerry Messmer.

To see Mayor Messmer's first column, click here.
To see Mayor Messmer's second column, click here.
To see Mayor Messmer's third column, click here.
To see Mayor Messmer's fourth column, click here.
To see Mayor Messmer's fifth column, click here.
To see Mayor Messmer's sixth column, click here.
To see Mayor Messmer's seventh column, click here.
To see Mayor Messmer's eighth column, click here.
To see Mayor Messmer's ninth column, click here.
To see Mayor Messmer's tenth column, click here.
To see Mayor Messmer's eleventh column, click here.
To see Mayor Messmer's twelfth column, click here.
To see Mayor Messmer's thirteenth column, click here.
To see Mayor Messmer's fourteenth column, click here.
To see Mayor Messmer's fifteenth column, click here.
To see Mayor Messmer's sixteenth column, click here.
To see Mayor Messmer's seventeenth column, click here.
To see Mayor Messmer's eighteenth column, click here.