Outgoing City Councilman Burto plans to run for seat when time is right

If Jason R. Burto's send-off Dec. 21 from the City Council chambers didn't evoke a feeling of finality, it's because he's not ready to say goodbye to politics.

On Tuesday night, while sitting in his Fairmont Avenue home, Mr. Burto said he will run for City Council when the time is right. And with help from a pair of relatives who hold elective offices, he will have access to enough political know-how to run an effective campaign.

"I'm interested in running again," he said. "I enjoyed it, I learned a lot and it went well."

Mr. Burto was chosen by the City Council in mid-August to fill the vacant seat left when Councilman Peter L. Clough moved from the city. The next day, he found himself in the midst of a Watertown media circus that involved one of the most complex issues the council had debated all year: the Newell Street deck.

Last summer, the city debated whether to allow a restaurant, owned by Reginald J. Schweitzer Jr., exclusive use of a deck attached to the building Mr. Schweitzer owns along Newell Street.

"Before that meeting I knew some of what was going on, but that was a lot to take in," Mr. Burto said.

While the relationship between the city and the business's owner is still up in the air, Mr. Burto said, the issue provided a good jump start for the upcoming months.

"I think this was a good venue for me to get started in," he said. "The council is independent so it was nice going into it with an open mind."

The City Council is a nonpartisan body, meaning council members do not attach themselves to political parties while campaigning.

Mr. Burto, while remaining taciturn during most sessions, was assertive when asked to back his position on votes.

While he voted with the council majority on nearly every issue, Mr. Burto did stand firm earlier this month, voting against a nonexclusive professional services agreement with Storino Geomatics that the other council members supported.

"I still think they should have put out RFPs (requests for proposal) to other companies so they could be involved, then we could review the numbers they submitted," Mr. Burto said.

The councilman said the decision made earlier this month to allow Gerard DeRouchie Jr. to open a used-car lot on State Street was one of the toughest.

"There are still some things that are up in the air for me with that," he said. "It was a vacant lot, so if a business wants to go in there, it will be better than nothing."

Mayor Jeffrey E. Graham offered kind words to the councilman. He issued Mr. Burto a "first citizen" award and a commemorative city coin.

"I know he was very attentive and took a lot of time to learn the city operations," Mr. Graham said. "He could have just come in and attended the meetings, but he came in and actually sunk his teeth in."

The mayor and other council members have said they chose Mr. Burto to fill the vacancy because he fit an ideal — as a young professional who moved back to the city to start a family — they hope to promote.

Mr. Burto's wife, Ashleigh M., attended his initial interview and held the Bible during his swearing-in ceremony. The couple attended a number of public events, including the tree-lighting ceremony downtown.

Tuesday night, she offered insight about Mr. Burto's political aspiration while assembling more than 100 holiday treat bags for the students she teaches at Belleville Henderson Central School District.

"It was a good place for him to test the waters," she said. "He's talked for some time about wanting to run for council."

Mr. Burto's older brother, Scott M., has been West Carthage's mayor for six years.

"With my activities within the Carthage and West Carthage communities, he's always expressed interest in doing something and running for office," the elder Mr. Burto said. "We don't always agree on things. It was nice, though, to see him get involved in the city."

The brothers' uncle, Kent D., is a Jefferson County legislator.

Mr. Burto said Tuesday that both his uncle and his brother have offered kind words about his appointment to the council.

"Scott has also called to harass me, too," he said.

Mr. Burto said he might frame the award and coin and keep his council nameplate in his home office. After all, it might have to be dusted off soon. The terms for Mr. Graham, Councilwoman Roxanne M. Burns and Councilman Joseph M. Butler Jr. expire Dec. 31, 2011.