Candidates 2025

Todd Dexter graduated from SUNY University at Buffalo in 1997 with a Bachelor of Arts.  In 2000, he graduated from the Syracuse College of Law, with a Juris Doctor.   While attending Syracuse, Todd clerked for former Senator and President Jospeh R. Biden Jr.    

After passing the Bar in 2000, Todd worked as an Assistant Public Defender, representing thousands of clients.  He spent nearly every Friday for more than seven years in Oneida City Court, representing those who could not afford representation.   

Appointed as a Support Magistrate in 2009, Todd Dexter has spent the last fifteen years in Madison County Family Court where he presides over child support, spousal support and paternity cases.  In a fast-moving setting, Todd has been the judge handling more than 15,000 cases and presiding over more than 2,000 trials.  Todd is also a past Madison county Bar Association President.

Treating citizens with dignity, lawyers with respect, and understanding that every case is the most important case for the people before him, Todd wants to bring this judicial demeanor and attention to detail to the City of Oneida Court.   

"I learned very early on in my career that while the next case on my calendar is one of twenty that I have scheduled, for those involved, it is the most important case in the world.  A good judge must know the facts of each case as well as the parties living it.  A good judge needs to understand that for the people standing before him, this might be one of the most important moments in their lives. I take this responsibility very seriously every day, and I would like to bring the same attention to detail and focus on the cases that I have demonstrated in Family Court to Oneida City Court.“

Melissa is currently serving as our City Chamberlain, having been appointed by the mayor after the resignation of the former City Chamberlain at the end of 2024.  Melissa worked for the City of Oneida for the past 5 years across various City Departments, and prior to that worked in banking for 3 years.  She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Wildlife Management and an Associates of Science in Liberal Arts with a Math and Science Concentration.  She formerly served as the Secretary to the Oneida Water Board, Secretary to the Traffic Safety Board, and Secretary to CSEA Union in Oneida.

Melissa was born and raised in Central New York and moved back to Oneida with her husband after starting her family.  They are currently raising their 3 daughters (and 2 dogs) in Oneida.  They are busy between sports and dance schedules and girl scouts.  Melissa is a lifelong member of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America and is a co-leader of her daughters' Girl Scout troop.

Melissa is running for City Chamberlain because the City Chamberlain is the person most people associate with City funds and payments.  She knows that the citizens of Oneida deserve to have a competent and honest person handling those funds.  Melissa has a strong background in finance and handling funds correctly, as well as the inner working of city government and budgeting.  She will be transparent about where payments are applied and used, as well as follow all requirements set forth by the State and City Laws.

Melissa looks forward to serving and helping the future of Oneida grow!

Lynne is a therapist who has maintained a successful private practice in Oneida for more than 15 years. Electing someone who can understand, build and repair relationships is what the city of Oneida needs more than ever.

“After witnessing elected officials preventing and sabotaging progress, I am more motivated than ever to serve on Common Council,” Lynne says. “They drove out qualified people and used inaction as a tool to advance personal agendas. This has come at a great cost to the city.”

“They made excuses and avoided transparency. Our region is on the cusp of growth and we need new, vibrant energy to move this city forward. Residents deserve leaders that will adhere to principles of good governance and be able to look at old problems with new eyes.”

Lynne has grown a broad coalition of widespread support, and when elected will work with the city manager to ensure essential, vacant positions are filled with qualified people and to foster good working relationships between the Common Council and the city workforce to build and support an environment that promotes security and stability.

Lynne will also support local business by streamlining and simplifying codes that create barriers to growth and progress while exploring untapped possibilities for revenue.

"We have hard-working people who had to wait months for contract renewal because councilor refused to act," Lynne said.  "Now we have a very promising city manager and it's time to move forward."

Follow Lynne on Facebook at Lynne McHugh for Ward One

Nate is a lifelong resident of Oneida who will challenge the status quo and advocate for transparency, accountability, and responsible governance.

“I am running because the residents of Ward 3 deserve a voice on the Common Council who will prioritize their concerns and hold city leadership accountable,” Nate says. “The way our current Common Council has operated — through closed-door meetings, financial mismanagement, and questionable decision-making — has eroded public trust. It’s time for a change. Trust is the currency all communities trade in, and I want to restore that trust between our city government and the people of Oneida.”

Nate has been particularly critical of how the current council handled former interim City Manager Douglas Selby’s tenure, citing a lack of professionalism and transparency in their approach.

Additionally, he strongly opposes the council’s recent budget, which he believes irresponsibly drains the general fund and was passed without the necessary votes.

As a husband and father of two daughters, Nate is deeply invested in Oneida’s future. “I want my daughters to grow up in a thriving Oneida, a place where families want to stay and build their futures,” he said.

Nate has a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the State University of New York at Oswego and currently works as a manager and product owner in software testing for a large insurance company.

His professional experience in problem-solving, leadership, and accountability makes him well-equipped to tackle the challenges facing Oneida.

“The current Common Council’s approach to financial management puts our city at risk, and I will fight to ensure fiscal responsibility while maintaining essential services.” Smith added. “The people of Oneida deserve a government that operates in the open, respects its officials, and manages taxpayer dollars responsibly. I am ready to bring accountability back to City Hall and stand up for the residents of Ward 3.”