Common Council

The Common Council is the legislative branch of City government. It is comprised of a President, elected by the general city, and seven councilors, each elected by a specific ward of the City.

Council meetings are open to the public, and occur on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month at 7:00 pm. The Council votes on items such as Resolutions, Ordinances & Local Laws for the City of Rome. The public is welcome to address the Council for up to five (5) minutes at the beginning of each meeting. The meeting agenda is made available on the Friday preceding the meeting.

Live Streaming:

To stream meetings of the Common Council live on the City of Rome’s official YouTube page, please click here.

Meeting Agenda:

• May 31, 2023 Special Session Agenda – State of the City Address

Meeting Audio:

Audio file from May 24, 2023 Meeting:

 

Upcoming Common Council Meetings:

• June 14, 2023
• June 28, 2023
• July 12, 2023
• July 26, 2023

Rome Council District Maps:

• Council District Inner Map
• Council District Outer Map
• Rome Council Ward 1 Map
• Rome Council Ward 2 Map
• Rome Council Ward 3 Map
• Rome Council Ward 4 Map
• Rome Council Ward 5 Map
• Rome Council Ward 6 Map
• Rome Council Ward 7 Map

Youth Council:

• Youth Council Application

2022-2023 Common Council Standing Committees:

MUNICIPAL OPERATIONS Rick Dursi, Chair Frank Anderson Kimberly Rogers	FINANCE Frank Anderson, Chair Rick Dursi Ramona Smith	LAWS & RULES Kimberly Rogers, Chair Rick Dursi John Sparace
COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Kimberly Rogers, Chair Frank Anderson John Mortise	PUBLIC SAFETY John Sparace, Chair Kimberly Rogers Robert Tracy	MARKETING & COMMUNITY OUTREACH Robert Tracy, Chair Ramona Smith John Mortise

Quick Links for Ward Contacts:

President 1st Ward 2nd Ward 3rd Ward

4th Ward 5th Ward 6th Ward 7th Ward

Common Council Contact Information:

President of the Common Council

 

The President of the Common Council is elected by the people every four years. The President presides at the Council meetings, and does not vote on legislation unless to break a tie. The President is also a member of the Board of Estimate and Contract.

I was elected President in November of 2015, and took office January 1, 2016 after the Past President, John Mazzaferro, stepped down after 36 years. I have committed to continuing John’s community programs which include a volunteer shoveling program for seniors and the disabled members of the community, and the “Are You Okay” Program in cooperation with the Rome City Police Department.

I was born and raised here in Rome and returned in 2004 to raise my family. My children attend Rome City Schools and the majority of my extended family continues to reside here in Rome. I am committed to serving the City of Rome in hopes of re-establishing the strong economy Rome once had so that the citizens of Rome may continue to enjoy all the benefits of living in our wonderful City.

Please feel free to reach out to me with any concerns you may have as a citizen of our City. I am committed to serving all members our community.

 

1st Ward

Chairperson: Public Safety
Member:  Laws & Rules

 

 

2nd Ward

 

The City of Rome’s 2nd ward is very important for our City. Not only does the 2nd ward take up a major land mass of our city, but it also comprises three main corridors into the City of Rome. Rt. 69, Rome – Oriskany Rd., Rt. 233, Rome-Westmoreland Rd. and South James St. These corridors are direct gateways in and out of our city.

Member:  Community & Economic Development, Marketing & Community Outreach

 

3rd Ward

 

Welcome to the 3rd Ward!  I am proud to be serving as the Common Council representative for the largest of all of the City of Rome’s districts.  I was born and raised in Rome and have been a small business owner since 1997.  My husband and I have two children and we have lived in the 3rd Ward for several years.  Like you, I want a better community for our children and grandchildren.  Yet to achieve that goal we must have strong leaders willing to listen to your concerns and committed residents who get involved.  As your representative on the Common Council your voice will be heard!  I will make informed decisions about our future recognizing not only the short term impacts, but also how those decisions affect our community 25 years in the future.

Chairperson: Laws & Rules, Community & Economic Development
Member:  Municipal Operations, Public Safety

Special Interests and Concerns

• • • Neighborhood Preservation and Revitalization through aggressive programs that eliminate blight and encourage investment.
    • Financial Accountability and Reducing Taxpayer Burden by identifying cost savings opportunities and eliminating excess spending.
    • Economic development and Job Creation by providing incentives and retention assistance to new and existing small businesses.
    • Protecting Our Citizens through aggressive enforcement of existing laws and the creation of new laws that improve safety in our neighborhoods.

Encouraging Downtown Development by providing strong support for initiatives such as the Rome Main Streets Alliance, Rome Up and Running and Rome’s Little Italy.

3rd Ward Resident Meetings
Interaction with the community is a critical component to progress. As such, regular town hall style ward meetings are held the second Monday of each month at the South Rome Senior Center on Ridge St. at 6:30 pm. There will be a special guest speaker at each meeting as well as an opportunity to voice your concerns. Information will be available on this site as well as published in the Rome Daily Sentinel each month announcing the guest speaker and location. Please plan to attend and let me know what’s on your mind. Together, we can make a difference!

 

4th Ward

Ramona L. Smith
104 Indian Creek Lane
Rome, NY 13440
(315) 337-4327
ruggy100@aol.com

Member: Finance, Marketing & Community Outreach

 

5th Ward

 

Welcome! My name is Frank R. Anderson, and I am proud to be serving as the 5th Ward member of the Rome Common Council.  The 5th Ward runs right through the middle of Rome, with its boundaries south to north being from N. James Street all the way up to Lorena Road and Sleepy Hollow Roads, and the width boundaries are from Thomas Street to Turin Road.  I have 2 very important goals that I am constantly trying to achieve—-first, to serve you and be the voice in Rome City government for the people of the 5th Ward, as well as improving on the quality of life in not only the 5th Ward but also the entire City, so that the City of Rome can grow and prosper and be a city of choice for people to live, work and play!

Chairperson:  Finance
Member: Municipal Operations, Community & Economic Development

Special Interests and Concerns:

• • • Help to create a stable and expanded tax base
    • Help to control city spending and work to find new revenue sources
    • Work with other elected officials to eliminate and prevent unfunded mandates that drive up taxes
    • Continue to work to make the 5th Ward a safe place to live, work and play through public safety awareness and active Neighborhood Watch programs.
    • Continuing to work on the 5th Ward and the rest of Rome’s infrastructure
    • Improving access to information and services for constituents
    • Helping to move the city forward, and to make certain that Rome is a city of choice

 

6th Ward

Chairperson: Municipal Operations
Member: Finance, Laws & Rules

 

7th Ward

A. Robert Tracy
213 W. Oak St.
Rome, NY 13340
(315) 337-8970
rtracy1@twcny.rr.com

Chairperson: Marketing & Community Outreach
Member: Public Safety