Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham is at odds with the City Council and local activists over a planned eviction of Paul Sirdorski, a local veteran.

Sidorksi’s home, a property at 42 Fayette St. in Downtown Binghamton, was seized in December 2023 from Isaac Anzaroot, who Kraham has called Binghamton’s “most notorious slumlord.” At a City Council meeting next week, Kraham will present grant funding from the state’s Pro-Housing Community Program, an initiative run by the Homes and Community Renewal office to address the housing shortage, to demolish the property. His push to demolish the dilapidated building has sparked debate between him and the council over housing, veterans’ rights and the city’s strategy for tackling the housing crisis.

“It’s not safe for the city to knowingly continue to know that someone is living in a property that is uninhabitable or is potentially unsafe,” Kraham said in an interview. “My office has been working with different veteran resource groups to try to find the tenant new housing options, working with the Housing Authority. There’s been a long history here. We are looking to help this resident obviously, not have him without a home.”

As mayor, Kraham has prioritized economic development and blight reduction, with at least six of Anzaroot’s former properties demolished since a 2023 court settlement. In January, Kraham said that the demolitions will ensure all Binghamton residents “live in clean, safe neighborhoods free from problem properties and blight.”

Councilwoman Rebecca Rathmell, who represents the Sixth Council District, opposed the planned demolition, claiming that Sidorski has paid rent, maintained the property and has attempted to purchase the building from the city.

“The building is not beyond rehabilitation,” Rathmell said in a press release. “We should be supporting Paul’s interests in assuming ownership and returning the property to productive use, not making back door deals with local business elites who are making a fortune from Kraham’s mismanagement. With over four hundred households across Broome County sleeping in emergency shelters tonight, adding one more displaced tenant to create more stadium parking is the exact opposite of a solution.”

Kraham said he disagreed with some of the arguments raised by the council.

“If you look at some of the statements that have been made by members of City Council, they said that the tenant of this building, the resident, was disabled,” Kraham said. “That was not true. They said that this person was paying rent. That is also not true. They said that there’s no code deficiencies in the building. That is not true.”

Kraham cited a November report from Jonathan Westgate, a code supervisor and vacant property officer, that said Sidorski’s home had leaks in its roof, an unsafe foundation, illegal electrical work and improper installation of water tanks, among a slew of other problems.

Michael Dundon, the City Council’s president, criticized Kraham’s development strategy as “a continuation of Mayor David’s before him: neglect, demolish, and turn them over to their private developer friends.” At a January rally against the demolition, Dundon expressed support for a Good Cause Eviction law the council later passed, saying it would enable accountability for bad landlords.

Kraham, according to a WIVT report at the time, said Good Cause Eviction protections would “offer no extra protections to a resident who has never paid rent to the city, has no known lease, and has received a notice to vacate an unsafe building.”

Sidorski’s first court date was scheduled for March 5, and Rathmell said she expected him to make at least one additional court appearance.

The controversy comes as Kraham formally announced his bid for reelection on Tuesday. A challenger, Democrat Miles Burnett, who kicked off his campaign last week, has said that he supports Good Cause Eviction.

Following its approval from the City Council, Kraham said that “bringing NYC-style housing regulations to Binghamton will backfire.”

“We’ve achieved some of the lowest crime rates on record thanks to a focus on public safety and support for first responders,” Kraham said in his reelection announcement. “We’re rebuilding Binghamton’s housing and infrastructure to restore neighborhoods, and advancing bold economic development plans to create jobs and support small businesses while protecting hardworking taxpayers with balanced budgets.”