OLEAN - The results are final and Linda Witte is officially the new mayor elect for the city.

Mrs. Witte collected 1,921 votes to Mayor David Carucci’s 1,726, a difference of 195 votes, according to official results from the Cattaraugus County Board of Elections.

Mayor David Carucci decided not to concede after Election Night on Nov. 3 when unofficial results showed him trailing Mrs. Witte by a count of 1,808 to 1,623, a difference of 185 votes. The mayor said he wanted to wait until absentee ballots were counted and the results were final.

There were about 285 absentee ballots requested. There were 216 more votes in the final results than the unofficial results available the day after the election.

Mrs. Witte said that she assumed the absentee ballots would go the same as the votes cast on Election Night. She said she is looking forward to starting work in January.

Although she was told by several people that she had nothing to worry about, Mrs. Witte admitted to being a little anxious about getting the results.

“... I wanted yesterday to just come and go, but I’m happy,” she said.

Mrs. Witte said she will continue attending Common Council meetings to keep up to date with the issues that the city is dealing with. She also said that Mayor Carucci has said he will hold a meeting with her to go over running the city. He will also assemble files on different projects that will continue into her term.

Mrs. Witte said that she wants to meet with department heads before she takes office to ensure a smooth transition. She also said she is looking forward to working with the Common Council.

“I’ve been talking with members of the Common Council, letting them know that I am there and I’m going to be working with them,” she said. “Hopefully together we can continue finishing some projects, having a smooth transition and continuing on.”

Mayor Carucci said that he wished Mrs. Witte good luck and thanked the people who helped him during his campaign.

“She’s got a tough road ahead to hoe,” he said.

Mayor Carucci said he doesn’t have a problem with the results.

“As I said before, I’m ready to go back to civilian life,” he said. “I know that I’ll be successful in the private business sector again.”

Mayor Carucci said that at this point he is not looking at running for the mayor’s office again.

“I’m not going to miss it at all,” he said. “I did my stint. I put four years in. It was a tough four years.”

Mrs. Witte defeated Mayor Carucci in four out of seven of the city’s wards, according to the official results. She earned more than 400 votes in Ward 1, her home ward, about 100 more votes than Mayor Carucci. The two candidates tied for votes in Ward 2, Mayor Carucci’s home ward, at 327 votes apiece.

The final results also showed that former mayoral candidate William Aiello received five write-in votes. Mr. Aiello, a Cattaraugus County legislator, ran unsuccessfully against Mayor Carucci in the Republican primary in September. After the race, he threw his support behind Mayor Carucci.

Linda Edstrom, R-Ward 4, received three write-in votes, all coming from Ward 4. She had expressed interest in running for mayor earlier this year but threw her support behind Mr. Aiello months before the primary.

Final results for the open seats on the Common Council showed that Gary “Casey” Jones, a Democrat, beat Republican incumbent Rick Smith by a vote of 275 to 242 for the Ward 6 seat. Democratic incumbent Michael Kayes defeated Republican challenger Kevin Bartholomew by a vote of 368 to 212. Ms. Edstrom and Frank Steffen, D-Ward 7, both ran unopposed. Ms. Edstrom received 192 votes and Mr. Steffen received 328 votes.

(Contact reporter Brian Lothridge at blothridge@oleantimesherald.com.)

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FedUp wrote on Nov 19, 2009 9:09 AM:

" So long Mr. David Carucci! May you have much success and a healthy, happy life! Being mayor wasn't for you. Look at the strain it put on you. Enjoy yourself again in the private business sector but please fix the a/c on your limo that we took to the concert in Buffalo on that steamy day... "

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Mark J wrote on Nov 22, 2009 12:42 PM:

" Out with the OLD and in with the NEW. I hope this fine lady will help Olean GROW instead of what the last TWO did "

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