Service is ‘his entire life’

Honor, integrity and service. 

“It’s his entire life. It’s been his entire career,” said Carabajal, the chair of the Cayuga County Democratic Committee and a former Auburn city councilor. “He lives those virtues.” 

Quill, a Democrat, announced at the Auburn City Council meeting on Thursday that he will not seek a fifth term as mayor in 2023. When he finishes his fourth term next year, he will tie Paul Lattimore for the title of longest-serving Auburn mayor. Lattimore also served four terms, from 1968 to 1983. 

Over four terms, Quill has led Auburn’s renaissance. Millions have been invested in downtown, including the $10 million state grant the city won in 2018. There are several major projects — the construction of the Hilton Garden Inn on State Street, the Equal Rights Heritage Center and the new Auburn Fire Station — that were completed under his watch. Empty storefronts are now occupied. Those who have worked with him say he brought much-needed stability to city government. 

Guy Cosentino, a former mayor, told The Citizen that Quill had a great working relationship with city employees and the people he served. 

“He has worked hard,” Cosentino said. “That should also be recognized. He attends events, he’s in the public eye, he is very accessible and they are all great traits to have in a mayor.” 

After Quill announced this would be his last term, he received bipartisan praise for his work on behalf of the city. John Camardo, who chairs the Cayuga County Republican Committee and is a former Auburn city councilor, said despite their differences he had a great working relationship with the mayor. 

Terry Cuddy, a Democratic councilor, recalled his introduction to politics and Quill. Before he was elected to the city council, Cuddy and a group of residents organized to protest the city’s acceptance of wastewater from natural gas drilling. They spoke at council meetings to urge the city to reverse its policy. 

“One of the things that I realize in government and service is that he really looks at all sides of an issue and listens to all of the information and he’s very deliberate,” Cuddy said. The city no longer accepts drilling wastewater. 

Before being elected mayor, Quill was Auburn fire chief. He is also a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and served in the Vietnam War. 

Jimmy Giannettino, an Auburn city councilor, said he and Quill attended an Onondaga County Veterans Party meeting in hopes of securing the group’s endorsement. Giannettino, an Air Force veteran, and Quill rode together to the meeting. 

When it was Giannettino’s turn to speak, Quill could sense that the political newcomer was nervous. He told him, “Just be yourself.”

That advice stayed with Giannettino, who is in his second term as a city councilor. 

“That’s the secret to being a good leader. That’s the secret to being a good elected official. Just always be yourself,” he said. “I’ve never seen anything from Mike Quill than that — him being himself. I think that’s what makes him a good mayor. He has been a good leader. He’s kept the ship afloat. He’s kept the ship in the right direction.” 

The ship, in this case, is city government. Debby McCormick, a longtime city employee who served as clerk and a councilor, remembers what City Hall was like before Quill’s election. She describes it as “chaotic” and “not a great place to work.” Morale was low. 

The shift began when Quill was elected in 2007. 

“When Mike Quill became mayor, he brought back civility, respect and appreciation for the city employees,” McCormick said. “That’s one thing that sticks out in my mind a lot. Through all his years, he treated everybody, every employee, like they were a treasure. No matter who was in the seats at city council, no matter what party they were, he treated them with respect. It was not supposed to be a surprising thing but at that time it was.” 

McCormick’s observation is shared by Tim Locastro, the lone Republican on the current council. When it was his turn to speak at Thursday’s meeting, he told the mayor, “You’ve been great to me.” 

Even Quill’s longtime political foe paused on Friday to recognize him. Tim Lattimore, a Republican, has been Quill’s opponent in each of the past four elections, beginning with the 2007 race. That year, Lattimore was the incumbent seeking a second term. Quill challenged him and won. In 2011, 2015 and 2019, Lattimore sought to unseat Quill but was unsuccessful. 

“Mike has been in service — being a Marine, being a fire chief and serving as mayor,” Lattimore said. “He’s had a long time serving and I appreciate his service.”