Jamestown Ward 5 Council member Grant Olson has announced he’s ending his race for another term on the Council.
Olson issued a statement saying his primary reason for stepping away is due to his increasingly limited time as a young professional and father.
Olson said he feels the city is on right track from when he took office and encouraged residents to continue contacting their council representatives to keep them up to date on issues in their neighborhoods.
Olson, a Republican in his first term, was facing Democrat challenger Doug Lawson. The Chautauqua County Board of Elections confirms Olson’s name will remain on the ballot for the November 2nd elections. If he wins a majority of votes and still declines to take his seat, it would be up to Mayor Eddie Sundquist to appoint a representative for that ward with City Council approving that appointment.
I would like to announce that I will not be taking another term as the Council person for Ward 5 in the City of Jamestown. My time involved has been a great experience and I have gained an incredible amount of knowledge about our city and overall government operations.
When I started my run for office over two years ago it was a completely different time in the City. We were potentially months away from a control board and the administration at the time had become stagnant. I was ready and willing to make some difficult decisions to move the city forward.
These days things are looking a bit more optimistic. The current administration has not only managed to weather a global pandemic but also bring about a feeling of change about what goes on in the big gold building downtown. I think things are on the right track….Sales tax revenue is up and negotiations with the unions seem to have a different, less controversial, feel about them. As well as new and unique economic development ideas that are being explored to grow our area.
A lot has changed in my life in the past few years. As a young professional and father my time has become increasingly limited and this is my primary reason for stepping away. I would like to thank all of the constituents that I represented. Especially those who took the time to reach out over the past two years. I encourage everyone to contact their Council members and keep them up to date on the issues in your neighborhood.
-Grant Olson
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