You do not have to live in Rome to run for Mayor.  You may recall that this is not the first time a resident from outside the City of Rome has run for Mayor.  James Brown, originally from Binghamton and a resident of the town of Lee, ran for Mayor in 2003.   He leased a home during his campaign and following his election, purchased a home in Rome.  He served two full terms as Mayor.

While Jeff Lanigan currently resides just  1,500 feet outside of the city line, he is a Roman.  He was born in Rome, raised and educated in Rome Public Schools, served the community as a member of the Rome Police Department for 15 years, purchased his former home on N. Madison St. and paid taxes in Rome.  Until just a few short years ago Jeff has lived his entire life in Rome.   He has recently purchased his childhood home and upon winning the election he will be moving within City limits.

Rome Charter Sec. 8. – Qualifications. 

Every person elected or appointed to office shall possess the qualifications prescribed by section three of the Public Officers Law, except that officers and employees in the administrative service of the city need not be residents of the city. A person elected to the office of councilor must be an elector of the ward from which he is elected, and a person elected to the office of legislator must be an elector of the legislator district from which he is elected. No person shall be eligible to the office of corporation counsel unless he/she has been admitted to practice as an attorney and counselor in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, and he/she has had at least one year active practice of his/her profession in the State of New York. No person shall be eligible to appointment to the office of city engineer unless he/she be a civil engineer of at least three years’ practical experience in his/her profession or a graduate of a technical school or college. If an elective officer ceases to be a resident of the city, or if a supervisor or a councilor ceases to be a resident of the ward from which he is elected, his office thereupon shall become vacant.

New York State Public Officer’s Law, CHAPTER 47, ARTICLE 2, § 3.

§ 3. Qualifications for holding office. 1. No person shall be capable of holding a civil office who shall not, at the time he or she shall be chosen thereto, have attained the age of eighteen years, except that in the case of youth boards, youth commissions, recreation commissions, or community boards in the city of New York only, members of such boards or commissions may be under the age of eighteen years, but must have attained the age of sixteen years on or before appointment to such youth board, youth commission, recreation commission, or community board in the city of New York, be a citizen of the United States, a resident of the state, and if it be a local office, a resident of the political subdivision or municipal corporation of the state for which he or she shall be chosen, or within which the electors electing him or her reside, or within which his or her official functions are required to be exercised, or who shall have been or shall be convicted of a violation of the selective draft act of the United States, enacted May eighteenth, nineteen hundred seventeen, or the acts amendatory or supplemental thereto, or of the federal selective training and service act of nineteen hundred forty or the acts amendatory thereof or supplemental thereto.

People with disabilities successfully perform all types of jobs and activities every day.  With that said, Jeff is not disabled.

Unfortunately in 2018 while working in his capacity with the Rome Police Department as a SWAT operator, he sustained a career-ending injury to his neck and shoulder. After surgery and several other medical procedures, he was never able to be fully medically cleared to return to full active duty as a police officer. In 2022, Jeff made the hard decision to medically retire from a career and department that he loved.   While it was obviously a very difficult decision, Jeff felt it was in the best interest of the department and the community.  Jeff has no financial or physical restrictions in performing the duties of Mayor of the City of Rome.