Candidates for Oneida County Executive face off in debate

MARCY, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — The candidates for Oneida County executive faced off Tuesday evening in a debate that was held in the Town of Marcy.

The debate pitted incumbent republican Anthony Picente against democratic challenger Michael Hennessy.

Picente is seeking his fourth term for the job.

Hennessy has also served on the Oneida County Board of Legislators.

Both candidates explained why they’re best for the job and not their opponent.

“Number one reason I’m running is there’s just too many decisions being made by a small group of people and you’re expected to pay for it, including the hospital and another casino and other things that have been decided upon without our decision making process,” Hennessy said.

“In that time, we’ve made significant strides in this community that I’m very proud of. I’m proud of the administration I’ve put together, but I’m more proud of the people of Oneida County. Because the people have been resilient in tough times we’ve struggled through, but over the last several years, we’ve seen the growth and the work the hard work that we have put into,” Picente said.

The debate was moderated by Ben Dennis of WUTR-TV, Jeff Monaski of WIBX Radio and Amy Neff Roth of the Observer-Dispatch.

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