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2 months ago | 
oleantimesherald.com | Bob Clark
OLEAN — For the first time in eight years, local Democrats have endorsed a mayoral candidate in the city — Amy Sherburne, who is running as a Republican. The Cattaraugus County Democratic Committee has endorsed a number of candidates up for election across the county, including four in Olean.
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2 months ago | 
oleantimesherald.com | Bob Clark
OLEAN — Officials hope to recap their suggestions for updating the city’s founding document this spring. The Olean Charter Commission discussed having a draft of charter changes suggested to date ready for review at the next meeting, set for April 3. To date, the committee has reviewed the first five articles of the charter, with a sixth still for review. The commission was empaneled by Mayor Bill Aiello in January 2024.
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2 months ago | 
oleantimesherald.com | Bob Clark
OLEAN — A third candidate has announced a campaign for the Republican nomination for mayor on November’s ballot. Olean Fire Capt. Jared Isaman announced Tuesday that he would seek the Republican and Conservative party nominations for mayor in the Nov. 4 election. Isaman, hired in 2003, is captain of Platoon C. “My focus is on the future, not dwelling on the past,” Isaman said in his statement. “I’m not here to place blame. Our energy is best spent moving forward with real solutions.
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2 months ago | 
oleantimesherald.com | Bob Clark
OLEAN — An Olean man is recovering in a Buffalo hospital after being shot by New York State Police after he reportedly pointed a BB pistol at troopers early Wednesday morning. Batavia-based Troop A officials reported that Thomas A. Wright, 23, of Olean, was shot by three troopers at around 12:47 a.m. Wednesday along North Seventh Street. State police responded to a call from a family member of a person having a mental health crisis and possibly suicidal on the street.
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2 months ago | 
oleantimesherald.com | Bob Clark
OLEAN — City council members are considering changing a part of the budgeting process to avoid sales tax shortfalls in the future. The Common Council’s committee of the whole forwarded on a change to city code Section 2-176 to limit sales tax projections in annual budgets to at most 90% of the amount collected in sales taxes over the previous 12 months. The code change requires publication and is expected to be on the docket for the March 11 council meeting.
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2 months ago | 
oleantimesherald.com | Bob Clark
OLEAN — A potential primary is brewing for the Republican nomination for mayor. Two candidates — three-term incumbent Bill Aiello and political newcomer Amy Sherburne — have announced their candidacy to represent the party for mayor on Nov. 4. Aiello, a retired city police captain and former Cattaraugus County legislator, won his first election as mayor in 2013, defeating incumbent Democrat Linda Witte.
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2 months ago | 
oleantimesherald.com | Bob Clark
ELLICOTTVILLE — Officials will look again at benefits to support Cattaraugus County’s first industrial wind turbine project. The Cattaraugus County Industrial Development Agency board unanimously rescinded $51.7 million in real property, sales and mortgage recording tax breaks for Chicago-based Invenergy, which has broken ground on site work for 38 wind turbines in the towns of Farmersville and Freedom and transmission infrastructure in the town of Yorkshire as part of the Alle-Catt Wind project.
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2 months ago | 
oleantimesherald.com | Bob Clark |Sara Furlong
As winter keeps coming with snow and ice in the region and throughout the Northeast, a road salt shortage is causing municipalities to scramble for deliveries — and forcing decisions on when and where to use salt on streets and roads. The office of Olean Mayor William Aiello announced Thursday that the city is experiencing a road salt shortage, as the delivery date of purchased salt has not been established.
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2 months ago | 
oleantimesherald.com | Bob Clark
LITTLE VALLEY — Seven villages will see elections next month, Cattaraugus County Board of Elections officials reported. The Cattaraugus County Board of Elections certified the statement of candidates this week for the March 18 village elections. In total, 22 candidates are seeking 19 positions across seven of the county's villages this March.
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2 months ago | 
oleantimesherald.com | Bob Clark
OLEAN — The city will spend less money in the next fiscal year but raise property taxes over the state-mandated tax cap under a proposed spending plan. Mayor Bill Aiello tentative budget includes $29.16 million in spending across the general, water and sewer funds. The budget calls for $8.57 million in property taxes, a $514,000 increase from the 2024-25 budget. “In preparing this budget, we found solutions to numerous obstacles,” the mayor said in his cover letter addressed to the Common Council.
