Good evening. My name is John Tonello. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to speak to you.

I want to start by telling you a little bit about me. I first moved to the Southern Tier 25 years ago. I graduated from West High and Corning Community College before going on to Syracuse University. Since then, I've worked for major universities and Fortune 500 companies, and today I am director of communications for Cornell University's Graduate School, and its 7,000 students, faculty and staff.

I returned to this area 10 years ago to help launch Star-Gazette Online, and at the time, many people asked me, "Why Elmira?" I've lived in Cortland, Rochester, Syracuse, and Manhattan - and I could've chosen anywhere to live - but I chose Elmira because it's a great place with great people. This is where I purchased my first home. And a second. This is where I pay taxes. This is where my roots are.

I've been pretty fortunate. When I was working my way through college, there were summer jobs to be had. One summer, I worked in the mailroom at the old Aetna Life & Casualty. During another, I worked as a houseman at what was then the Corning Hilton. I'm proud to say that I was a member of the service and food worker's union there, and it made a big difference. I made one-and-a-half times minimum wage thanks to that union. It meant I had more money to spend on food and books...and beer.

Today, young people growing up in Elmira and across the Southern Tier aren't as fortunate. There aren't many good paying summer jobs, and jobs are few and far between for everyone. Our friends have to move away to find work. So do their children. They leave and never come back. We have to change that.

That's one of the key reasons why I decided to run for mayor. I want to make this city better by pushing an agenda of growth. Responsible growth.

That's why when I talk about the future of Elmira, I talk about jobs. And when I talk about jobs, I talk about good-paying jobs. The kind of jobs that provide a living wage, health insurance and other benefits, and jobs that protect workers and give them a chance to pursue promotions and careers. I'm talking about the kinds of jobs unions like yours have defended and demanded for decades. To do that, I want to cut red tape and make Elmira more business-friendly. I want to make more aggressive use of the tax-free Empire Zones. I want to initiate more public-private partnerships.

I believe in a multifaceted approach where, together, we focus on safety, taxes, development, and public works simultaneously. How? By committing to keeping our police department fully staffed and committing the first dollar of any new revenue to public safety. By returning brownfields and derelict properties to the tax rolls and providing tax incentives for people to invest their first dollar, not their last, on renovation. By encouraging non-government investment in green spaces, neighborhood centers, and landmarks like the Rotary's fine support of the Eldridge Park gateway.

I see unions playing a key role in building this future for Elmira:

• I believe that local development projects should give serious consideration to local labor.
• I reject privatization of civil service jobs because I believe those workers must be accountable to the people they serve - they must have skin in the game.
• I believe in the lawful right of unions to grow, organize and recruit members. More members means more jobs.
• I believe in supporting skilled trades while future workers are still in school. That's why my "Great City, Great Schools Collaborative" includes a "Hire an Elmiran" program to show potential employers just how well-prepared our workers are.

If you've followed this race, I think you've seen that I'm a fighter who's not afraid of hard work or challenges. Mine is an independent, fair-minded voice. That's what I bring to the table. That's what I want to bring to the mayor's office. I ask for your support.

Thank you.