Village Trustee runs for Geneseo mayor

A conversation with Eddie Lee

Photo courtesy of Facebook

With election day coming up on Mar. 18, 2026, a three-way race is underway for Geneseo mayor with incumbent Chris Ivers up for reelection. Making their bid for the position this election cycle are Republican candidate Brian Spindler and Village Trustee Eddie Lee, who is running independently. The Lamron had the opportunity to meet with Lee this past Saturday at one of several “Meet the Candidate” events hosted by his campaign to discuss himself, his experience, and what he wishes to bring to Geneseo as mayor.

The last mayoral race in Geneseo saw Chris Ivers and Eddie Lee running against each other in 2022, with Lee narrowly losing the vote. He has served two terms in the role of Village Trustee for the past six years as part of the main apparatus of Geneseo’s local government, working on the Village Board with fellow Trustees as well as Deputy Mayor Keith Walters and Chris Ivers as the current mayor. 

Lee has brought his expertise in budgeting and public finance to a career in state and local government spanning three decades, which he noted in a letter to the Livingston County News. His current role in Geneseo’s village government, in addition to his broader experience, has helped to refine the objectives of his leadership. Among these, Lee told The Lamron, is building on the success of a pedestrian and traffic safety committee, which he has been working on as Trustee, to make Geneseo safer. “We’re trying to work off a comprehensive plan which addresses traffic issues like crosswalks, sidewalks, 20A, intersections,” he said. Lee added that the committee has begun to look at grants to support projects that would build sidewalks and reduce speed limits in certain areas to promote pedestrian safety.

In addition to supporting infrastructure and accessibility improvements, the Lee campaign’s social media has elaborated on other key priorities, including investing in safe and affordable housing, “implement[ing] a village sustainability plan to lower our carbon footprint and save taxpayer dollars,” and “utiliz[ing] Eddie’s experience in government finance” to support Geneseo’s economy and infrastructure. The core of Lee’s plans, however, he explained to The Lamron as such: “One of the things I want to change—and that’s one of the reasons why I’m running—is I want to build a different tone of collaboration, not only with the general public, to make village government more open, more accessible.”

Some of Lee’s initiatives to achieve that openness and accessibility, as stated on the campaign’s social media, include opening the Mayor’s office to regular office hours for the public and streaming Village Board meetings to accommodate those unable to attend in person. In his letter to the Livingston County News, Lee also affirmed his commitment to “publishing regular news about our government that is more than a website.” When asked by The Lamron to elaborate on the channels he intends to use to do so, Lee discussed social media’s potential in improving communication on the part of village government. “I think we can use social media much better than we do,” he said. “I think we can certainly publish regular Village Board columns or Mayor’s columns to explain to the public what’s going on with certain projects in the community.”

Lee’s emphasis on effectively bridging the Mayor’s office with the public through improved access and dialogue reflects his own involvement in Geneseo’s institutions. A long-time Geneseo resident and college alum, Lee said, “I really thrive on and feel great about walking around town, visiting businesses, visiting neighborhoods, as an elected official and being able to talk informally.” Many Geneseo students may be familiar with the sight of Eddie Lee around campus, attending events open to the surrounding community: “Hockey games, believe it or not, are a great place to talk to people. Basketball games are a great place to talk to people. I also get to attend lectures and other things.” Lee emphasizes the value of “making yourself available” and highlights the conversations he has with students and neighbors as the “listening post” which informs his priorities.

With the intent to approach the role of Mayor as a full-time commitment, Eddie Lee closed out his conversation with The Lamron with some final thoughts for our readers: “I think that it is so vital for us to be connected and collaborating and talking to each other. There oftentimes are too many divisions, too many opportunities to find differences,” he remarked. “As a leader of the community, I believe there’s a moral leadership to build bridges and to build a different tone, and part of that is being visible, being present, being willing to listen.”