Voccio stepping away

Guest Editorial by Niagara County Legislator Chris Voccio

After retiring from a 30-year career in the private sector, I transitioned to public service via elected office knowing it would not be a long second career.

When I decided to run for a seat on the Niagara Falls City Council in 2017, I figured I’d serve a term or two (four or eight years), and then return to private life.

After serving for one term on the council and then running for a seat on the Niagara County Legislature, I remained confident my time in elected office would be limited, either by the wishes of the voters or my own.

As a conservative, I believe in term limits. I’m not someone who wants to remain in office for a prolonged period of my life. I respect those elected officials who choose to serve for longer periods, and I value their service. Some of them are distinguished public servants. But I’m choosing a different path.

How many years does one need to serve? For me, eight is enough.

I like the idea of private citizens stepping up to serve in citizen legislatures, then stepping away and letting someone else take the reins. So, I will not be seeking reelection. It’s time for me to be a private citizen again. My term expires on Dec. 31.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my seven (soon to be eight) years as an elected official representing the people of Niagara Falls at both the city and county levels.

I’m proud of my service. I was, and remain, a strong voice for taxpayers and an advocate for the common-sense principles of good governance.

I remain bullish on Niagara Falls. Our challenges are numerous, but we have many people, in government and the private sector, who are working to turn things around.

Niagara Falls didn’t get to its current state overnight. Industrial decline, bad luck, and bad decisions brought us here, but the decline took decades, and it will take time to turn it around. But I see green shoots sprouting up that make me optimistic. I remain confident that better days are ahead.

On another note, my elderly parents live in my native Rhode Island and, for the past 30-plus years, I’ve lived afar and visited them only a few times a year. I’d like to be a better son and visit more often.

Also, if I were to serve for just a little longer, I would be eligible for a taxpayer-funded pension. It would be minuscule, but I feel uncomfortable running again knowing I would benefit from it financially for the rest of my life.

So, at the end of this year, I’m returning to private citizenship.

A big thank you to the voters of Niagara Falls for giving me the opportunity to serve you as a City Council member; and to those of you in the Sixth Legislative District, on the County Legislature. I will always be indebted to you for giving me the honor to serve.

Voccio can be reached at ChrisVoccio@gmail.com