On Election Day, the village of Camillus will elect a new mayor to a one-year term. Trustee Michael Montero is running unopposed to replace current Mayor Kurt Brunger, who was appointed last year to a one-year term and has chosen not to run for re-election.
Polls are open from noon to 9 p.m. Tuesday March 16 at village hall.
Michael Montero
Running for mayor, 1-year term
Wife, Jennifer, daughter, Julianna
Owner of The String Corner, in the village
Village trustee for one year; performs free Strings in the Stacks concerts; conducts high school and middle school string ensemble concerts.
1. What do you expect will be the biggest challenge for the village board during your term, and how do you plan to address it?
Sales tax. In terms of addressing it: the village law allows any village that is not an assessing entity to go to a calendar year.
Most villages know what revenue will be for one year but remaining five months is a mystery, and I see no reason not to be on a fiscal year. It will put us in a better position to make the budget.
Thats the biggest challenge, but hopefully this is a quick resolution to that. And then the ongoing: bringing this village back to life.
2. In what ways do you plan to work more closely and efficiently with the town to reduce costs for residents?
Consolidation: that’s a buzz word. That’s been a hot button, and my personal feeling is that if we are going to save an inordinate amount of money, being responsible for the people, you have to follow that.
If its not going to be cost effective, you have to look at both sides of the coin in that respect.
We do plan on holding our residents to a higher standard of living — that’s a responsibility of ours, and we need to be willing to undertake that.
