With court cases settled, there will be a Republican and Democratic candidate on the ballot for Oneida County Executive.

Democrat Mike Hennessy is challenging incumbent Anthony Picente for the seat.

He held his first press conference Tuesday morning since the court ruled in his favor regarding the legitimacy of signatures he obtained to appear on the Democratic line. During the conference, he announced his intentions to forgo further legal action regarding the Oneida County Board of Elections ruling that his signatures were invalid.

With legal proceedings seemingly behind him, Hennessy established some of the plans he would like to enact as County Executive.

Hennessy wants to push for lower taxes by cutting government spending, including a 3-percent cut across all departments with the exception of the District Attorney and Sheriff departments.

He has also set the goal of reducing property tax by 8% over a four-year time period through cutting costs, including EDGE, which is a county funded organization that assists with economic development.

Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente says the spending and tax cuts are unrealistic. He says he intends to keep taxes stagnant to ensure the government continues providing support to the county’s population.

Both candidates say they’re looking forward to discussing their ideas for the future on the campaign trail.