Ciano to run for Carmel supervisor

MAHOPAC, N.Y.—Longtime resident and vocal critic of local government Frank Ciano is running for Carmel Town Supervisor.

A frequent commenter at Town Board meetings, Ciano has used his Facebook group Mahopac Dads and Moms UNCENSORED to call out local government and school officials he believes are failing in their responsibilities and said he is “investigating possible corruption.” He is now hoping to be on the other side of the conversation by taking on incumbent Supervisor Michael Cazzari for the Republican and Conservative Party nominations.

The town GOP committee is expected to make its endorsement on Feb. 6.

Ciano said he hopes to get the Carmel Republican Committee’s endorsement at its 2025 nomination meeting early next month. Both men have said they will try to force a primary if not endorsed by the Carmel GOP.

The Mahopac High School (Class of 1989) graduate believes more than four decades in the construction industry will make him an effective leader of the town that has just approved its long-awaited master plan. In an interview on Jan. 9, he said he was motivated to get involved in local issues after finding the Town Board unresponsive to questions from the public.

“I decided to run because every time I go to a meeting we don’t get any answers,” Ciano said. “[Cazzari] can’t answer any of our questions, but you know I’m gonna be honest—I voted for him. But we really weren’t thinking about… we voted for a guy who’s an ex-cop that really doesn’t know any engineering, doesn’t know any construction, doesn’t know any water, sewer…I do this for a living. I did [construction] my whole life…so I kinda know infrastructure stuff like that.”

Noting that Cazzari—who was police chief before taking office as supervisor in 2022—and his predecessor in office Ken Schmitt were both former Carmel PD officers, Ciano said the town needed to go in a different direction.

“Mike was a good cop,” Ciano said. “I’m not gonna take that away from him and you know he’s not a bad guy, but he’s just not—he’s just not made for that position and we have nobody really running at the time because Kenny [Schmitt] was an ex-cop and basically was the same thing; Kenny was a good cop too. But they’re not really guys that know any kind of construction, could look at a set of plans, maybe help out a little bit here and there.”

Asked about his priorities, Ciano cited the water and sewer system.

“We definitely need sewer and water on Route 6,” he said. “We need to get that for the people in the town. At least Route 6, please. I mean, we’ve been working on it for 25 years. And we’re not—we’re not a day closer. Why?”

Ciano also called out the lack of public debate at board meetings.

“Everything is a ‘yay’ on the board,” Ciano said. “Does anybody say ‘nay’ one time? I heard Rob Kearns said no to something and I thought that was great. Everybody just agrees and just goes ahead with the program.

“I don’t believe in that,” Ciano continued. “Everybody has their own mind and they should speak their own piece.”

He accused the board of ignoring community questions.

“They don’t understand that that board works for us taxpayers, so [when] we ask you a question, give us the best answer you got for now until you can get us the right answer [later],” he said. “People don’t wanna be shunned. [Cazzari] told a lot of people sit down, just listen. I’m gonna let everybody speak. I’m gonna listen to everybody’s points and I might even use some knowledge.”

Ciano has used Mahopac Dads and Moms UNCENSORED to call out what he and his followers see as problems in local government. He said many of the topics he covers are inspired by people sending him complaints and information.

“I speak my mind with evidence behind it because if you would see my PO box, it is stacked,” he said. “Every other day, I get a phone call to come in and empty it because people are sending me anonymous letters, sending me videotapes… So it’s not like it’s a little thing. It’s like big things and I do help the county, the town, and the school board out. I mean, I don’t get paid for this. But what I think I did in a year and a half, people couldn’t do the whole time in there.

“And I think if everybody does that, we could have a better town and county,” he added. “I mean, you see what’s going on in the county right now, the legislature, the Republican Party’s torn apart. It’s an embarrassment to us.”

Ciano said if elected, he would work to build consensus and get input from the community.

“I solve a lot of things because I listen to both sides, which you should, and then the evidence comes,” he said.

“I’m not the smartest guy in the world,” Ciano continued. “Nobody is. And I think everybody could learn a lesson that everybody can learn something from somebody. If everybody works together it will go a lot easier and smoother.”