03/12/2024
From life-long resident, basketball coach, reporter, former village trustee and mayor To the editor:
The Baldwinsville Village election is slated for March 19, from noon-9 p.m., at Village Hall. The Village Party has a strong slate of incumbents on the ballot -- Mayor Bruce Stebbins and Trustees Megan O’Donnell, Mike Shepard and Joe Cole Sr.
There are two propositions on the ballot – move elections from March to June (Prop. One) and move elections from March to November (Prop. Two). The Village Party says Vote No on November elections and avoid the swamp known as national politics.
The Village Party has been the predominate party in the Village for over three decades. The track record is shiny and positive because there are no political affiliations, just local folks doing what’s best for the Village.
The party Platform is basic:
· Strong local government based on transparency and conservative fiscal responsibility. That means quality services at a reasonable cost.
· The party boasts of a strong Canton Woods Senior Center, a great system of parks and trails, pure ground-sourced drinking water, yard waste pickup, well-lit and well-maintained streets and sidewalks – services often taken for granted.
· The Village Party advocates for maintaining a Village Police Department featuring a community policing approach of blending compassion and community service with law enforcement.
· There is no party line for board members to follow other than to support the continuation of an independent village with its own police and public works departments as well as codes and court.. We explore cost saving opportunities as they arise including collaboration with neighboring towns, villages, the school district, and Onondaga County as well as many grants to lighten the load on taxpayers.
· Transparency is crucial. Our board meetings are open and taped by Pac-B TV. We have a current website – loaded with information – as well as a page to keep residents informed. During the height of the COVID pandemic, we went live on Facebook with Village Board, Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals meetings. And Heart, Home and Community did live updates with the Mayor almost weekly all through the COVID days (three years).
The Village Board has been very progressive in its efforts to make Baldwinsville a great place to live.
For example:
Our Police Department --
n We have – in conjunction with the school district – added retired police officers so that every school within the village has added protection on site;
n We have implemented a new body camera program with our police officers as well as upgrading our police communications with new portable and in-car radios, all using grant money;
n Maintains a current fleet of police cars;
n Implemented the CORDICO app for officer wellness.
Our DPW –
n Continues to provide yard-waste pickup eight months of the year;
n Directs our street paving (over $200,000 per year recently spent on new streets, most of that money through grants) and sidewalk replacement projects (including recently adding a stretch that links Aspen Springs to the Village for walkers);
n Maintains our parks and trails. We have added handicap-accessible canoe-kayak launches to Mercer and Community Parks, new playgrounds at Mercer, Community and McHarrie Parks, an overlook on the trail to Community Park – all with the aid of grant money;
n Directs our Tree City USA program – we have been honored with that title for over 30 years for trimming trees, taking down ailing trees and planting new trees. We recently bought 47 young trees to replace some of the diseased ash trees that were cut down – mostly by our DPW which saved the Village taxpayers thousands of dollars;
n Keeps our streets clean in nice weather and clear during winter months;
n Monitors our water/sewer systems. New pumps have been installed at our two wells, new security systems added and a new fluoridation system installed at Canton Street – all with grant money;
n Maintains the replacement of water meters throughout the Village;
n Because of COVID, they replaced regular water faucets and toilet flushers with touchless faucets to help with personal safety;
n Led the effort to get the Little League parking lot paved and is leading the effort to get the Canton Woods roof replaced by securing a grant;
n And replaced the Warner Avenue culvert and excavated Tannery Creek to control flood waters;
Our Codes/Clerk/Treasurer/Court
n Facilitates the Main Street Grant program – in partnership with Onondaga County -- where close to 30 downtown businesses received grants to help renovate/upgrade their facades;
n Combined to offer online listing of codes forms, online payment for water bills and court fines as well as offering night drop boxes;
n Moved a chunk of Village money into a new style of account with a much more attractive interest rate;
On top of all this, the Village runs the Memorial Day Parade (a non-political event to honor those service members who died in defense of our country), helps with the running of the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot and helps coordinate the Parade of Lights and annual Christmas Tree lighting at Baldwin Square.
There is so much more and yet, despite soaring assessments and booming tax rates around us, the Village taxes go up pennies.
It seems the Village Party has a grip on how to run a Village. Please cast a vote for good government by voting for Bruce, Megan, Mike and Joe on March 19. And vote NO on November elections and YES for June.
Dick Clarke
Former Mayor, Village of Baldwinsville
