UTICA, N.Y. —After serving 25 years in office, Oneida County Comptroller Joseph Timpano announced he will retire at the end of his term next year and not seek re-election.
“It has been my honor and privilege to serve the wonderful citizens of Oneida County for the past 25 years,” Timpano said in a press release. “What has made the job so enjoyable has been the people whom I have had the pleasure of working with.”
Timpano, the longest-serving comptroller in county history, thanked his deputies Sheryl Brown and Debbie Joanis, the Oneida County Board of Legislators and Chairman Jerry Fiorini, and previous and current County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr.
“Tony and I have been a team for the last 16 years and have tackled many complex projects together,” Timpano said. “I am proud of the things these relationships have helped me to accomplish during my time in the comptroller’s office.”
Highlights of Timpano’s tenure include refunding $92.3 million of existing debt, establishing Oneida County as the first municipality in the state to issue Build America Bonds and Recovery Zone Economic Development Bonds, maintaining an A-category credit rating from all three nationally recognized bond-rating firms, closing 237 capital projects and using $5.9 million in unspent funds from those projects to pay down debt, paying off and eliminating $51 million of debt from cash obtained from the national tobacco securitization, maintaining manageable debt levels, and installing new software systems.
“Joe Timpano has represented the people of Oneida County with honesty, hard work, and integrity for a quarter of a century,” Picente said. “His vast knowledge and skill have helped to solidify the county’s finances, increased the efficiency of the comptroller’s office, and tremendously benefitted our taxpayers.”
Timpano was first appointed as comptroller in 1998 to fill out the final year of Pat Donovan’s term. He was elected for the first time in 1999 and ran for re-election without opposition six consecutive times. He is the county’s 16th comptroller elected since 1911.
