Sharing What Matters
I am a life-long member of the community who has seen good and bad administrations. Having been the Supervisor for the town, I know we can do better. I believe the town should work for you. We need to return to common sense tax plans that work for the community. Economic development that keeps taxes low. A Master Plan that is real and has teeth. Use technology that gives a voice and a vote back to the residents. Term limits for elected officials, to put a stop to the ongoing corruption in our town.
With nearly three decades as a community advocate, pro-labor business owner and former Town Supervisor, with some of the best feedback from town employees, I know what it takes to find solutions, be forward thinking, navigate the complicated issues, and get results. Always with an eye on the future for our community because, let's face it, governing is about working FOR the community"
The Issues That Stand Out
Community
We have seen repeated instances where the community is the target of the Town Board. In the past two years the current administration has attacked community members opposed to CPV, the Girl Scouts, the seniors, the 9/11 First Responders, Intermural Sports leagues and most recently pitting the town court system against EMS. This town Board has abused their authority and personally attached 22 town employees in the past 4 years. It has strong armed residents and broken contracts with elderly members of our community with no regard to the implications or outcome. They have played with election law and blanketly lied to the public to carry out vendettas and agendas that serve them and their small circle. All of this while using our tax money as a personal bank account.
Personal agendas and special interests outweigh the majority voice and the betterment of the quality of life in the town. The community deserves better, and town leadership can do better.
Open Government for All
The town continues to operate behind closed doors. With a super majority and no real concern for the public, decisions are discussed and decided in clear violation of the Open Meeting Laws that protect us. In this day and age of technology, there should be no reason why our voices should not be heard and our needs met by responsive leadership. I will open all meeting to public comment and move to make all decisions that the town makes a permissive referendum. Using basic technology available today, real time accountability and visibility is attainable for all.
Taxes and Fiscal Responsibility
When I first ran for office, 6 years ago, my platform was simply that there was something wrong with the books. In a short period of time, it became clear that there was. When I blew the whistle on the malfeasance that was clear and undeniable, the town board responded with a vicious false attack on me and a cover up that continues to this day. Multiple independent accounting agencies have confirmed that the town board has mismanaged the towns money, comingled accounts, mis represented tax enrings to the state and the public and created and sustained a fiscal environment ripe for corruption. They have worked hard to silence me because I know what they have done, how they have done it, and who is responsible. When I return, my first actions will be to turn all the lights on for everyone to see and implement GAP accounting practices that have full transparency and accountability.
Master Plan
The Master Plan for the town has been all but ignored. In 2020, I re-established it with hopes that we could begin to reshape our town. Since that time the town has seen some unprecedented growth. The Master Plan helps guide that growth so as to keep a common vision and manage resources. However, in the past four years the town has done practically nothing with the committee recommendations. Instead, continuing to move zoning variances and "spot zoning" to accommodate special projects. Many of these moves are seemingly arbitrary and short sighted. Warehouse after warehouse seems to rise up while our town preaches moratoriums. Where there once was a vision of growth that balanced resources and community, now there is free for all countlessly weighing on the community and shaping our town for the worse.
Strategic Economic Development
The town benefits from some of the lowest taxes in the area. This is in no small part due to my administrations' focusing on commercial business development in lieu of residential projects. However, in the past 4 years this trend has mutated into a gross focus on warehouse development. While it is true that these projects reduce strain on schools and municiple sevices, they are unsightly and ultimately bring few things back to the community in the way of jobs or quality of life.
Building large spaces hoping business will come a philosophy using hope as a strategy.
Environment
As a life-long advocate for sound environmental conservation, I'm puzzled by a town government that says one thing and then does another. Worse yet, when faced with obvious environmental hardships, it actively chooses the destructive path rather than stand up for the health and welfare of the community.
We must fight against those things that would take away our green space and pollute our community. Heavy traffic caused by large scale trucking and large swaths of land cleard for warehouses works against us.