On Nov. 5 the voters of Skaneateles will elect new town officials. The ballot will have two options for a new town supervisor, Jim Greenfield and Mary Sennett, and four options for two available town councilor positions, Connie Brace, Rick Keyes, Steve McGlynn and Claire Robinson Howard. Three Republicans are running for election uncontested for the other available offices: Janet Aaron (incumbent) for town clerk, Lori Milne (incumbent) for tax collector and Allan Wellington for highway superintendent.
The town councilor races pit two incumbents against two newcomers. The town supervisor race, regardless of the outcome, will lead to some shuffling of public officials. Incumbent supervisor Terri Roney, is not seeking re-election and two current public officials are vying for that job.
Greenfield, if elected, would have to resign his current position as town councilor. His elected term runs through 2015. The town supervisor and councilors would then appoint a replacement.
Sennett, if elected, would resign her seat on the village board of trustees. Her elected term started on April 1 of this year and will run through the end of March 2017. The mayor, under advisement of the trustees, would appoint a replacement trustee to serve the remainder of that term.
Sennett, Brace and Robinson Howard, who are all registered to vote as Democrats, chose to run on the Skaneateles Party line, though they are also endorsed by the local Democratic committee. Greenfield, Keyes, McGlynn, Aaron, Milne and Wellington are all running as Republicans and also carry the Independence Party endorsement.
The candidates in the contested races are profiled below. For more information about voter registration, polling places and absentee ballots, visit ongov.net/elections.
Town supervisor
James H. Greenfield
Nickname: Jim or Skinny
Affiliations on ballot: Republican, Independence
Age: 60
Background: Greenfield is a lifetime resident of Skaneateles, father of four and co-owner of Greenfield Farms LLC. He has been a member of the town board since 2008 and deputy supervisor since 2010, occasionally running meetings in the event that supervisor Terri Roney is absent. He currently serves as the town board liaison for animal control and the highway water departments. He is a founding member of the Skaneateles Watershed Agricultural Program and received the program’s Environmental Steward award in 2004.
What makes you qualified for this office?
J.G.: I am a lifetime resident of Skaneateles and care greatly about the community. I am not only visible but approachable in the community, and I am not afraid to reach out to residents to better understand issues. Myself and four children have attended Skaneateles Central District. I have enjoyed my time on the town board over the past six years and approached each issue with integrity, professionalism and common sense. The town board has made great progress. We have maintained a high level of services while reducing spending and taxes. Maintaining the town’s financial stability is a priority of mine. As a farmer and business owner of 1,500 acres I am familiar with financial accountability. As a town board we have tackled some very challenging issues. We have addressed hydrofracking, streamlined town government by consolidating departments and have been fiscally responsible by lowering the tax levy without reducing services. I am a steward of the land and keeping the lake clean has always been important to me. I am supportive of the Milfoil Lake Project and Skaneateles Monitoring Program. I am committed to keeping the cost of living in Skaneateles stable so all residents can continue to afford to live here.
What change or changes if any, would you like to see made to the Skaneateles Town Comprehensive Plan and zoning laws and why?
J.G.: The Comprehensive Plan is a document that is the foundation for town zoning ordinances and village zoning ordinances. The demographic portion of the Comprehensive Plan needs to be updated, but I feel the present plan and zoning laws are effective.
What is the one thing (physically, operationally, local laws and so on) you would like to change how the town operates?
J.G.: I believe we could have better communication with the village board. I suggest we meet periodically to keep communication open. I am approachable and open to any discussions that benefit the community.
Mary E. Sennett
Affiliations on ballot: Skaneateles Party, Democrat
Age: 66
Background: Sennett has been a Skaneateles resident for 23 years. She is married and has three children. She has been a member of the board of trustees since 2010 and was re-elected for a four-year term this spring. She has also served as a member and vice chair the town’s zoning board of appeals. Sennett is a retired teacher as of June 2012, but also spent time working for IBM and started a software company that eventually sold to Dunn and Bradstreet.
What makes you qualified for this office?
M.S.: My experience in business management, coupled with my experience serving as a village trustee have taught me about municipal governance as well as financial accountability. I’m comfortable with budgets and financial reports. I would look for ways to save money, and I would seek outside funding to help with town improvement projects such as infrastructure updates.
What change or changes, if any, would you like to see made to the town comprehensive plan and zoning laws and why?
M.S.: The current comprehensive plan allows for a continuance of sprawl development which is reflected in our current zoning. The plan should be updated to support responsible development and growth that protects the lake and watershed areas. The comprehensive plan is a set of goals and objectives outlining a vision for the community. That vision is now almost 10 years old and needs to be updated. Zoning is the means to achieve those goals and the community’s guide for future development.
What is one other thing (fiscally, operationally, local laws, etc.) you would like to change about how the town operates?
M.S.: We need to open up our town government. The minutes for town board meetings from January of this year through June show that the town board spent more time in executive sessions, which are not open to the public, than in public sessions. Our team will be open and transparent so residents know how decisions are being made. As a village trustee I understand the criteria for executive sessions and have concerns that there is so much going on in the town that can’t be discussed publicly. A more open government might also have allowed the public to be informed about the opportunity to save $165,000 by re-financing the bond for the fire station. Anything this important must have been discussed, but it’s not in the minutes.
Town councilor
Constance M. Brace
Nickname/preferred name: Connie
Affiliations on ballot: Skaneateles Party, Democrat
Age: 60
Background: Brace has spent most of her life in Skaneateles including 22 years at her current address. She is married with two children. She is an architect and associate partner at QPK Design, where she has worked for 28 years. QPK is the firm that was hired to do the plans for the recent renovations at the new village hall. She has also worked as a volunteer with the First Presbyterian Church committee that designed the medical clinic in South Sudan and is a founding member of Sustainable Skaneateles.
What makes you qualified for this office?
C.B.: I have spent my working life working with a variety of clients building consensus, guiding decisions, and interpreting government regulations to achieve successful results. I believe my skills can help us establish new directions with a more open and communicative town government.
What change or changes, if any, would you like to see made to the town comprehensive plan and zoning laws and why?
C.B.: The current review process is broken, or the Victory Sports Complex would not have proceeded as far as it did. The planning and zoning review process should begin with a broad overview in which the town board is an integral participant.
We do need to update the guidelines of the town and village joint comprehensive plan (CP). A master plan identifying specific goals from the CP will inform needed changes to our subdivision and zoning laws. It will define and locate Critical Environmental Impact Areas (the Lake itself, steep slopes, ravines and streams, and especially the remaining views). None of these critical areas have been established under the current administration.
What is one other thing (fiscally, operationally, local laws, etc.) you would like to change about how the town operates?
C.B.: The village and town share a great deal — land, parks, streets — as well as constituents. They collaborated on the original comprehensive plan, and should continue that work on management of resources, planning and applications for grants to improve infrastructure. I envision quarterly work sessions, or regular liaison on each others’ boards, to discuss potential areas of alignment as well as major developments.
We can improve the outlying hamlets and settlements with safe walks, bike trails and improved options for affordable housing. We can research opportunities to collaborate and fund needed infrastructure. We can reach out for community engagement to review needs, develop plans, and seek financial support to accomplish these goals without increased taxes.
Charles F. Keyes
Nickname/preferred name: Rick
Affiliations on ballot: Republican, Independence
Age: 59
Background: Keyes has lived in Skaneateles for 27 years. He is married, has four children and two grandchildren. He has been a town councilor since 2009. He currently works as a sales engineer for Robert Reiser Co., a Massachusetts-based vendor of food processing and packaging equipment. He has also volunteered on the Skaneateles School Improvement Team and American Legion.
What makes you qualified for this office?
R.K.: With one term in office and an excellent track record in fiscal prudence, consolidation of departments and shedding tax burdens to the residents, a second term will allow me to continue to work to hold the line on costs of government, and work through current outstanding issues. Water is a major issue, and we have an outdated, very fragile infrastructure creating issues for fire protection. I am concerned about how development has changed our community over the past 25 years affecting the current infra-structure, and we have to plan far ahead to continue to preserve the community’s assets, and sustainable growth.
What change or changes, if any, would you like to see made to the town comprehensive plan and zoning laws and why?
R.K.: The comprehensive plan currently in place is a very solid plan that has survived the test of the court, and was instrumental in stopping sizable development, plus shying away undesirable development. Bottom line, it works to preserve our current way of life, and helps control development. I want to change the review process. The plan started in 1974, and since has had only two updates, in 1996 and in 2005. The 1996 update started in 1990, and the 2005 update started in 2000. Five plus years each, costing taxpayers over $65,000 for the 2005 update. We can do better.
What is one other thing (fiscally, operationally, local laws, etc.) you would like to change about how the town operates?
R.K.: I am concerned about the continued shrinkage of business and jobs in our northern corridor. This is affecting our retail business community that supports year-round residents, school enrollment, property tax rolls, etc. We are also seeing a reverse effect with the water quality lines feeding the north now too large for the reduced usage causing quality issues, and environmental concerns with closed buildings. I will work with the state and county industrial development authorities to insure Skaneateles is in a position to fill these vacancies, now and into the future.
Stephen T. McGlynn Sr.
Nickname/preferred name: Steve
Affiliations on ballot: Republican, Independence
Age: 47
Background: McGlynn has lived in Skaneateles since 2006 and 11 years total. He is married and has four children. He has been on the town board since 2009, he has also served on the town planning board. McGlynn currently works as business manager for Twin Birch Dairy and Roach Dairy and has also worked in business and real estate capacities for ViaHealth and MacKenzie-Childs.
What makes you qualified for this office?
S.M.: My experience in health care, real estate, agriculture, manufacturing and renewable energy has provided me with the skills to manage multiple budgets and projects by leading teams and individuals with a common goal and objective. I utilized my experiences and skills in my first term in which we reduced spending, lowered taxes, reduced the size of government, increased our reserve funds and prohibited hydrofracking. The current town board has made great strides in creating a more efficient local government which is now managed more like a small business than a bureaucracy. With your vote I will continue these efforts.
What change or changes, if any, would you like to see made to the town comprehensive plan and zoning laws and why?
S.M.: I would like us to improve the readability and clarify confusing or opposing objectives in the current 2005 joint village/town comprehensive plan. I would also like to see a planned bike/running trail connecting the Charlie Major Trail at the Mill Road Trail Head, heading east out Mottville Road connecting at Route 321, and heading south to Austin Park. Any and all changes to the Joint Village/Town Comprehensive Plan should be implemented with the understanding that the rural character of the town and the traditional urban character of the village are connected, and must continue to be connected to ensure each retain their respective rural and traditional urban characters.
What is one other thing (fiscally, operationally, local laws, etc.) you would like to change about how the town operates?
S.M.: I support the merger of the village and town governments. That was my position four years ago and still is today. I believe this is possible over time, yet will take courageous leadership and perseverance. Until that day the village and town could consolidate the water departments into one entity. This was attempted in 1992 and was met with resistance. I believe the time is now for revisiting this issue with the village. Over the past three years we have merged town department management positions resulting in improved efficiencies and lower costs. This can be done on a village/town level.
Claire Robinson Howard
Affiliations on ballot: Skaneateles Party, Democrat
Age: 62
Background: Robinson Howard has lived in Skaneateles for 45 years. She is married, has three children and has two grandchildren who currently attend Skaneateles schools. She has been a nurse for 20 years and a private practice as a psychiatric nurse practitioner. Robinson Howard was also a founding member of the Skaneateles Festival and served as general manager for 10 years. She was a volunteer member of the Skaneateles Hydrofracking Committee promoting a moratorium and ban.
What makes you qualified for this office?
C.R.H.: As a long term resident in both the town and village I am very familiar with the area, its beautiful assets of geography and community, its diversity and its challenges. I have been a leader in important community projects, have connected with children and adults through two of my passions, music and nursing. I have never held elected office, but I know I would be an informed, accessible, creative and compassionate public servant.
What change or changes, if any, would you like to see made to the town comprehensive plan and zoning laws and why?
C.R.H.: I would advocate revising the joint comprehensive plan to reflect the current needs and values of our community. Specifically, those would be one, preservation of our lake and its surrounding farmlands and critical environmental areas and two, development within the village and hamlets of compact, walkable neighborhoods of mixed use that would provide affordable housing to young families with children and the elderly. Current zoning ordinances in both village and town promote suburban sprawl which means less ability to support local retail, public transit; requires more investment in infrastructure, and increased traffic congestion.
What is one other thing (fiscally, operationally, local laws, etc.) you would like to change about how the town operates?
C.R.H.: I would like to see more communication, cooperation, openness and creative initiative in the way our town operates. I would like to see our town board take back some responsibility for assessing the appropriateness of development proposals such as Victory Sports Medicine and Loveless Farm, rather than completely passing that responsibility off to the planning board. I would like to see better communication with the village over shared concerns such as refinancing the fire hall. I would like to see more transparency, for example in the negotiations with the SCRT which ended in an unnecessary law suit. I would like to see more public-friendly town board meetings.
