Vern Richardson
5647 Kester Rd., Memphis
Background Five years on Zoning Bd. of Appeals and 4 years on Town Board
Occupation J-E School Bus Driver
Endorsed by Republicans, Independents, Conservatives
Given the current economy and budget crises at the state and county levels, which areas of the budget do you feel the town could cut back to alleviate the pressure on taxpayers? I feel that all services that our Town provides for in our budget are essential to our citizens and should not be cut. In light of our economy, I feel that it is imperative to continue to improve management of our current services and to continue to closely monitor our Town operations, making sure they are running as efficiently as possible. In what ways do you think the town could consolidate services with villages, neighboring towns or the county to increase efficiency and keep costs down? We have recently consolidated our accessing office with the town of Camillus, which will result in savings to our town residents. We have also talked to the Village of Jordan about bringing their justice office over to our town office. What do you consider your greatest accomplishment thus far in your position?
We have had our town books audited each year for the last four years and all departments have received high marks from our auditor. It shows the experience and professionalism of our town staff. We also were able to secure State funding for our JET (Jordan-Elbridge Transportation) minibus. The JET provides transportation for our 60+ Seniors and people with disabilities to, primarily, their doctor appointments. What specific projects or goals are you most interested in completing or pursuing in your next term? I would like to expand our Recreation Department by possibly adding more sports. Another goal is to continue to pursue cable and hi-speed internet to our rural areas of the town. With money available through the Federal stimulus package, I have been working with officials in Albany in trying to secure funding for our town.