Southern Tier Voices

Jeffrey Aaron: Why I’m Running for Elmira City Council

My name is Jeffrey Aaron and I am running to represent the Fifth District on the Elmira City Council.

My wife and I have lived on Maple Avenue for the past 35 years, raising our two sons there. But my family history here in Elmira dates back to the 1800s. I have earned a journalism degree from Boston University, and retired from the Elmira Star-Gazette in 2015. While working for the Star-Gazette as its business writer and a columnist, I also covered Chemung County’s village, town and county governments – part of the reason I’m currently running for a seat on Elmira’s City Council.

This is my first attempt at running for an elected office. I believe the challenges facing our city and the Fifth District are not unlike those facing many other similar communities. As I’ve told many of you, the Fifth deserves a councilman who will work to move our city forward while putting in an equal amount of work solving our district’s issues. Identifying those issues requires a healthy dose of input from the district’s residents, which I’ve been seeking as I campaign for office. While not yet elected, I’ve recently gone door-to-door to discuss district residents’ concerns over several issues, including an unpopular neighborhood building project that’s been proposed, the futures of Brand Park, the former Tops Market grocery store on South Main Street and the vacant shopping plaza on Erie Street. In addition, with the arrival of summer, those I’ve talked with also want to ensure that our youth has a safe place for recreational activities and play. I expect the list to grow, just as I expect the challenges facing our city to grow.

To those of you who took the time to speak with me about your concerns and ideas for our district, I thank you for that time and for your input.

For those interested in what I would like for the Fifth, I would turn their attention to “Southside Rising,” a 7-year-old comprehensive redevelopment study released in the summer of 2016. Although much has changed since the release of that report, I believe it represents a starting point for discussions on ways to improve economic activity and aging house stock in our district. It is my sincere hope that the residents of the Fifth will allow me the opportunity to show them what we can do together to develop solutions to our district’s issues.

I ask for your vote on the Tuesday, June 27 primary, and thank you in advance for your support.

About this Feature

Southern Tier Voices is a feature that invites area members to share their thoughts, knowledge and information on topics of interest with the community. To contribute to Southern Tier Voices, please email info.southerntierlife@gmail.com.