Attendees of this year’s State of the Area event received somewhat of a mixed message last week — at least from the region’s state and federal representatives — as to how the Cazenovia area is doing economically and socially.
While local leaders unanimously said the region is doing well economically with many successes achieved and exciting projects on the horizon, the partisan messages from Albany and Washington were both that New York state was the strongest and most citizen-supporting its ever been and that the state’s high taxes and burdensome regulations were strangling citizens and businesses and driving residents to other parts of the country.
More than 100 people filled the Morgan Room in Cazenovia College last week to attend the annual event and hear about the state of the Cazenovia area in 2017 and what can be expected in 2018. This event, hosted by the Greater Cazenovia Area Chamber of Commerce, discussed issues ranging from Cazenovia town/village consolidation, to school district finances, to federal immigration policy — and much more in between.
The event offered local residents a chance to hear updates from, as well as ask questions to, their local, regional, state and national elected officials on a variety of topics. Attending the meeting were U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney, State Assemblyman for the 121st District Bill Magee; State Regional Director for Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Colleen Deacon; Cazenovia Town Supervisor Bill Zupan; Fenner Town Supervisor Dave Jones; Nelson Town Supervisor Roger Bradstreet; Cazenovia Mayor Kurt Wheeler; Cazenovia Central School District Superintendent Matthew Reilly; and Cazenovia College President Ron Chesbrough.
Invited but unable to attend was State Senator for the 53rd District David Valesky who sent a representative with a written message.
The event started from the state and federal perspectives. Deacon, speaking as a representative of the governor, lauded the “remarkable progress” New York has made in recent years, saying that state spending and state taxes are at their lowest in decades, that statewide unemployment is down since Cuomo took office, and that the governor has numerous agenda items to purse in 2018.
Some of those 2018 items include spending billions on infrastructure projects, giving state residents tax cuts, focusing on a “women’s agenda” to ensure female success and prevent sexual harassment in the workplace, addressing the opioid problem and creating cashless tolling on the state thruway.
“We must stay the course,” Deacon said. “The state is headed in the right direction, we must keep going.”
Tenney, on the other hand, criticized the current state of New York state, saying it has some of the highest taxes and regulatory burdens in the country. “It is a very, very difficult business environment in New York,” she said.
Tenney said 2017 was “an incredible years in many ways.” She praised the Trump administration’s work, including the tax reform bill, the “unprecedented gains” in the stock market, the highest rate of women and minority employment in years and the rolling back of unnecessary regulations.
While Tenney praised the local and regional officials in the Cazenovia area and their willingness to all work together to gain results, she criticized Gov. Cuomo’s policies. She singled out the governor’s tax proposals which, she said, are trying to “eviscerate” the federal tax reforms recently passed.
She said the government needs to provide relief to small business owners and farmers who are “our true job creators.”
On the local side of things, Zupan said 2017 was “the year of infrastructure,” in which the town took over the water treatment plant, is renovating the Mt. Pleasant water district, is continuing health monitoring and treatment of Cazenovia Lake and has cooperatively created a new water district on Route 20 in a project to bring municipal water into the town of Nelson.
Zupan said the “recurring theme” of 2017 was the town partnering with other municipalities and organizations to get things done for its residents.
In 2018, Zupan said he plan to focus on people instead of infrastructure — primarily, he intends to work to expand programs for the young and the elderly in the town, although he did not give specifics.
Bradstreet agreed with Zupan that the Route 20 water district was a major accomplishment in 2017 and into 2018, and one that was “long overdue.” He said his town is continuing to focus in 2018 on hamlet rejuvenation, with projects such as streetscape improvement in the heart of the hamlet, protection of lakes, creating a trail into Nelson Swamp and updating the town’s Comprehensive Plan.
Bradtsreet also praised two of his town officials who retired at the end of 2017 — Town Councilor Mike Costello and Highway Superintendent jack Sevier — who had 73 years of community service experience between them.
“Towns are only as good as the people who run them and live in them,” Bradstreet said. “Community members need to serve their communities for it to work. I advise you to take up the challenge, step out into your community and serve.”
Cazenovia school district Superintendent Matt Reilly said that while there will always be challenges to face, there are “a lot of positives” for the district in 2017 and 2018. One important achievement is that the Cazenovia district is no longer considered to be under “fiscal stress” by the state, he said, which is attributed to the hard work of district officials and employees, great fiscal discipline and a growing fund balance and reserves.
Reilly said the search for new high school principal and assistant superintendent to replace Eric Knuth and Terry Ward, respectively, is currently underway and there are is solid applicant pool for the positions. Reilly praised the district’s bus drivers as the “unsung heroes” of the district who do a “remarkable” job every day; similar to the excellent teachers who create exciting learning environments in their buildings.
“I am incredibly proud of the Cazenovia Central School District and I am grateful to you all who have helped make this happen,” he said.
On the college level, Chesbrough said Cazenovia College is increasing its educational opportunities for its students and continuing to compete for students in the tuition-driven marketplace. He said a highlight of 2017 for the institution was the college being named the no. 1 best value school in North American by U.S. News and World Reports.
Chesbrough also mentioned the increasingly close relationship between the college and the Cazenovia community – both socially and politically—and announced that the college is creating a new college center in 2018, which will the college to relinquish ownership of three village properties, which will put all three back on the village tax rolls – “and that is a win-win for everybody,” he said.
Wheeler also lauded the village/college relationship as having “never been better in our history.” He discussed the ongoing consolidation talks, the Route 20 water project, the new Creekside Park and kayak launch at Lakeside Park as great endeavors that have been successful through cooperation with various municipalities and organizations.
“All that success has been possible due to the relationships in this room and throughout the community, and our willingness to work together,” Wheeler said. “We all share a common goal to serve our constituents effectively.”
