Earlier this week in the Finger Lakes Times departing Geneva Mayor Steve Valentino used a guest appearance to reflect on nearly 24 years in local office and to urge city leaders and residents to find common ground for Geneva’s future.
Valentino traced his start in public service to his father, Val Valentino, and a simple lesson. If you want to see change, you have to get involved. That belief carried him from early council races in the 1990s through multiple terms representing two wards, and finally to City Hall as mayor from 2020 to 2026.
He described working alongside four mayors, countless councilors, five city managers, and many department heads. Each, he said, wanted what was best for the city, even when agreement proved hard to reach. Respect, he wrote, always came first, though it did not always last.
Remembering leaders and losses
Valentino paused to remember two former councilors, Sam Passalacqua and John Greco. Both served as leaders on council and in the community, and their deaths while in office left lasting voids.
He also reflected on Geneva’s long arc. Old photos and stories from his youth showed a city that once drew visitors for industry and entertainment. By the 1970s through the 1990s, that momentum faded as investment dropped and deterioration set in.
Slow progress, shared responsibility
Valentino credited years of persistence for helping reverse that trend. He pointed to gradual gains downtown and said real progress requires vision, patience, and strong public-private partnerships. Physical improvements matter, he wrote, but so do shifts in attitude and outside perception.
No single person, he argued, can drive change alone. Councils may begin with unity in mind, but reaching consensus on goals, policy, and budgets often proves difficult. Staff members, he noted, must navigate competing priorities from nine council members, with decisions ultimately coming down to majority votes.
Lessons from public life
Valentino said his time in office reinforced familiar life lessons. You can’t please everyone. Even good intentions can spark controversy. Leaders must set priorities, accept limits, and surround themselves with capable people without feeling threatened.
He said he leaves office satisfied that he gave his best to improve Geneva. He also expressed optimism about future councils and staff continuing that work.
Geneva, Valentino concluded, holds enormous promise. With cooperation and shared purpose, he believes the city can grow as a place to live, work, play, and invest.
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