The job of Supervisor, and how I’ll do it

Most residents don’t think much about what the Town Supervisor does, and when the job is done well, it’s seamless.

The roads get paved, the budget is balanced, taxes are predictable, and people know what’s planned for their neighborhood before it arrives. But the Supervisor is the town’s chief executive and chief financial officer, and the decisions made in that office touch every household in Yorktown.

Doing that job well takes planning, discipline and a willingness to listen before deciding. I’ve built those skills over 35 years in small business and finance, and through leadership roles across our community. That’s what I would bring to Town Hall on Day 1.

Here is what that would look like.

First, I will put the town on a five-year financial plan with clear, regular reporting, so you can plan your household budget the way the town should plan its own. Residents deserve steady, predictable budgets, not a large tax increase one year, a zero increase the next, and fee hikes to make up the difference. Department heads will be accountable for their budgets, and so will I.

Second, I will work with the Comprehensive Plan Committee to move that project along, ensure the final result reflects what residents actually want, and then execute on that plan. That means the right projects in the right locations, including affordable and middle-market housing for our teachers, police officers, nurses, town employees, and young families, not just luxury homes.

Third, I will run an open Town Hall. Residents should be able to see how decisions are made and have a real voice before they are made, not after.

I’m running on the Community First independent party line because local government should be about local issues. Fixing a road or balancing a budget isn’t a partisan question, and I will work with anyone on the Town Board who puts residents first.

Early voting has started and runs through Sunday, Nov. 1. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.

There is work to do. And I’m ready to get to work.