Johnson City residents will cast their ballots in the race of village mayor on Election Day.
Incumbent Republican Martin Meaney and Democratic challenger Christina Charuk are running for the position.
Election Day is Nov. 4. Early voting in Broome County will take place Oct. 25-Nov. 2.
Meaney, a lifelong Johnson City resident who was elected mayor in November 2021, was previously a village trustee for five years. He worked as a firefighter for the Johnson City Fire Department for 26 years, retiring as a fire captain.
Charuk, also a lifelong resident, has taught at institutions including City University of New Jersey, Seton Hall University and Binghamton High School. She worked with special needs children at the Children’s Home of Wyoming Conference in Binghamton and currently teaches substance abuse prevention and community education at CASA-Trinity in Owego.
The candidates, who are listed in alphabetical order, were asked about their background and experience, Johnson City’s pressing issues and their goals if elected.
Christina Charuk (Democrat)
For Charuk, transparency and communication between local government and Johnson City’s residents are top priorities. After spending time speaking with other residents and knocking on doors across the village, she said those are the major concerns that have been brought to her attention.
“To me it really feels like the current administration and in years past have run Johnson City kind of like a country club — if their issues are addressed and what they see is okay then it’s status quo, it’s fine,” she said. “I’ve made it a point to talk to residents from all sides of the village to see what are the options that we have here and how can we engage with our community.”
As mayor, Charuk said she would put community first by making efforts to create events that bring people together. Another concern, she said, is maintaining the idea that “public servants have to serve the public,” through effective code enforcement and revitalization efforts like Main Street development.
Charuk believes the village’s Department of Public Works is a key tool in keeping the community “safe, clean and looked after,” which she said is intrinsically connected to public safety and minimizing crime.
“Real simple things like making sure sidewalks are ADA-compliant and street lighting is available by working really closely with residents, whether they’re the property owners or renters, to see that code is enforced and fairly enforced, not just criminalized, are important,” she said.
She is also looking to support first responders by providing ongoing training, equipment and “anything they need to best protect the community.” Part of her plan, she said, is to grow partnerships that are beneficial for public safety. An example she gave is the work done by the village’s Community Engagement Officer Jay Peets, whose position is funded by a Binghamton University grant.
“Those kinds of partnerships do have a huge, positive effect on the community,” she said.
Coming from a family of Ukranian immigrants and as president of the Ukranian National Woman’s League in Binghamton, the current political climate surrounding immigration enforcement has been top of mind for Charuk. In September, reports of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers taking someone into custody in the village were circulating online.
Charuk said Johnson City’s diversity is something she’s very proud of. With an immigrant population that continues to grow, she said she would work to protect the rights of residents as mayor.
“I believe in due process and I have a lot of concerns,” she said. “I’ve heard from residents who are fearful and I hope that our local government can speak up and make some additional safety and comfort initiatives for our immigrant populations.”
Martin Meaney (Republican)
If reelected, Meaney is looking to continue the “good, positive movement” made during his first term, especially with improving infrastructure and revitalizing the downtown area.
“When I started as a trustee, I just wanted to give back,” he said. “I got so much from this community, I was able to raise my family here and they provided me a career, so I just want to leave it better than I found it.”
Meaney is looking to make more progress on the upkeep of public infrastructure in a second term. Out of 55 center line miles of streets in the village, 11 miles have already been reconstructed or resurfaced in his first term, he said.
Part of this has been patching potholes which, he said, in the past year has been expedited by Director of Public Services Joshua Holland’s implementation of AI technology on garbage trucks to monitor streets on daily drives and report holes that need to be filled.
Other street projects Meaney is currently pursuing grants for will “take the burden off of the taxpayer.” Corliss Avenue, North Street and the Harry L Drive intersection at Wegmans are areas he hopes to address.
“We’ve gotten nearly $20 million in grants in four years and we want to keep that momentum going — we’ll partner with anybody and everybody,” Meaney said. “As a firefighter, I would stand in the street with a boot and ask for money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. I have that mentality now, I’ll ask anybody that can help us for money.”
Meaney hopes to make Johnson City’s Main Street corridor a more inviting place for prospective residents and business owners. Public safety is a concern, he said, and he hopes to continue expanding police presence there.
“(Community Engagement Officer) Jay Peets walks in the area, which means the perception of Main Street is that it’s safer now,” Meaney said. “There was a time where people were loitering and that’s gone because he’s a presence downtown.”
Meaney also hopes to fill vacant storefronts and create a welcoming environment. To fix blight on Main Street, the “Vacant Commercial Storefronts Law,” which was passed in 2024, has established “minimum standards” Meaney said.
By fixing up vacant storefronts, increasing public safety efforts, enhancing infrastructure and communicating with local property owners and residents, Meaney’s goal is to make Johnson City a more “vibrant and inviting” place to live and visit.
“We have a lot of developers coming and it used to always be ‘you can’t do that’,” Meaney said. “That’s not our mantra anymore. Now, it’s ‘what can we do to get you to your dream?’ Everybody’s got a vision, a dream, and we want to help them obtain that.”
This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: What to know about both candidates in 2025 Johnson City mayoral election
Reporting by Jillian McCarthy, Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin / Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
