The village of Marcellus will soon elect a new mayor and trustee to the village board. John Curtin and Patrick Cox are both running unopposed; Election Day is Tuesday March 16.
John P. Curtin
Running for mayor, 4-year term
Wife, Maureen, four children and 12 grandchildren
Adjunct professor at LeMoyne College; retired Syracuse City School District high school teacher
Village trustee from 1996 to 2004; trustee with Marcellus Historical Society since 1996; trustee with St. Francis Xavier Church since 2005
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?
I would like to stabilize village taxes as well as reduce the village debt – a figure that is significantly higher than when I left office in 2008. This will require a major review of the village budget, and cuts in spending that could be painful. As Onondaga County reviews the sales tax formula and the share that is provided towns and villages, a decline in village services might be inevitable and drastic.
2. In what ways do you plan to work more closely and efficiently with the town to reduce costs for residents?
A number of years ago, the village mayor, town supervisor and school superintendent in Marcellus often met informally, sometimes over breakfast, to discuss mutual concerns as well as ways in which each entity might be able to help one another. I would like to revive that custom in the months ahead so as to determine what efficiencies might be addressed and what costs might be reduced. More specifically, the three entities might examine a recommendation that the Committee on the Future of Marcellus suggested — that of economic development. As part of the Committee, I presented the following to village and town andschool district representatives:
Residential development alone will not sustain a tax base sufficient to provide the services desired by Marcellus citizens.
Business development is critical to the long-term economic health of the community.
Waiting for the right companies to show up at Marcellus’ front door is not a winning strategy.
The village, town and school district should develop an economic development plan to attract new capital investment, and a stronger tax base.
It is my hope that continued communication with the town and school district will help to implement this plan.
Patrick Cox
Running for trustee, 4-year term
Wife, Sarah, two children
Administrator with Department of Defense; United States Marine Corps officer, 1992 to 2005; Iraq War veteran
Chair of Committee on the Future of Marcellus; active with St. John’s Episcopal Church and Marcellus American Legion
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?
The top issue, to me, is the looming change in the distribution of county sales tax to local governments. As we move forward in the current economic conditions, local governments will be responsible for making decisions regarding the allocation of ever diminishing resources. Though challenging, this aspect of the job may also present the citizens of this community with an opportunity to redefine their expectations of government and their role in financially supporting it.
2. In what ways do you plan to work more closely and efficiently with the town to reduce costs for residents?
Change is inevitable in any community and especially in a small village in Central New York in the year 2010. How we choose to cope with and manage the challenges that we will face in the coming years will characterize how Marcellus will move into the future. This is a unique village in many respects, but this distinction does not make us exempt from the issues facing all local governments. As a trustee, I will not have all the answers but will work with my fellow citizens to produce decisions that reflect the desires of the people tempered with the reality of our financial condition and ability to provide desired services.
Other significant issues facing Marcellus are village debt, zoning updates, infrastructure, joint economic development with the town government and the relationship between the village, town and school district. In addressing the village debt, I believe that we need to do what many of us are doing these days and re-evaluate our priorities and make decisions on what is most critical to us. An update to our village zoning ordinance is also needed and has been in process; I intend to see it is implemented.
For this community to thrive, the town and village must jointly pursue a targeted economic development agenda. To this end, I support a formal joint economic cooperation board and will work to help define the targets, which the citizens want. Finally, the three administrative entities in our community (town, village and school district) must work together more closely. A collective partnership should be sought where decisions can be made that benefit the entire community while respecting the needs and wishes of each individual entity.
