John Cromp

Name:

John Cromp

Background (education, profession, family, etc):

1977 graduate of Marcellus High School. USPS letter carrier in Camillus for 33 years. Wife Susan, dog Ruby. Member Skaneateles Sons of the American Legion. High School Wrestling referee.

Political experience:

One year Skaneateles Village Trustee. Previous eight years Skaneateles Village Zoning Board of Appeals.

Why are you running for village trustee?

After eight years on the village zoning board of appeals I thought it would be a natural transition to the village board where I could hopefully continue to serve the residents and try to make a difference in upholding the character of our great community. I believe I’ve attempted to do that with my appointment to the village board this past year. With the vast experience in handling many difficult and at times controversial zoning matters and working closely with all the various village boards, I feel I am an excellent candidate to return to the village board.

Why should people vote for you?

Experience and passion for our village. We have a unique community, pristine lake, one of only two sources of drinking water in New York state that does not require a multimillion-dollar filtration plant, vibrant downtown, great schools, a nice mix of newer and mostly older homes and residents passionate about their community. I would like to see all of these protected and improved upon. I plan to be accessible and listen to the residents; they dictate what we need to do. I believe in keeping services high and taxes low, not an easy scenario in these times but certainly foremost in my mind. With my experience within village government and my drive I believe I can continue to make a difference in our village.

What is your position on renovating the Fennell Street fire station and moving village hall there, and why?

I believe this will be a great move for our community. Let me start out by saying we propose no bonding or raising of village taxes to complete this project. Our current village building on Main Street, on the lake, does not serve us well. We should return it to the tax rolls and have it fit in with the rest of the downtown buildings, retail, office and apartment living for example.

The old fire station has been vacant for several years and is a very useable building. Sale proceeds from the current village hall would complete interior remolding for both village offices and the police station, infrastructure upgrades, razing of the current police building and also beautifying and landscaping of the site to better fit a municipal structure.

Outside building improvements would come in another phase depending on funds. Parking is plentiful, which will make the village offices much more accessible to the resident users. With the current police building gone, that creates more parking space, we see a combination of free, paid and employee parking at this site. The current village board sees this as a so called “win-win” situation for us all.

What is your position on further improvements to public parking in the village, and why?

In this current economic climate, I don’t see a need for looking for property for more municipal parking. The current lot with the pay station set up serves us quite well. A better economy may change this but not at present. We have discussed replacing the current street meters with several pay stations. I believe they will generate more income, look better than the meters up and down the street and solve our current problem of the meters corroding because of our harsh winters causing time-consuming maintenance and expensive replacements.

What is your position on the number of events that currently take place in downtown Skaneateles, typically in Clift and Shotwell parks (races, boat shows, concerts, graduation, etc)? Do you feel there may be too many, that things should be more limited or more regulated? Or do you feel that things are fine as they are?

We have some great activities in the village that help make our community what it is. Our vibrant downtown benefits immensely from the various activities and functions. I believe we have a good mix of family-friendly activities at this time.

In walking around the village and speaking with residents, some have expressed concern in filling every vacant weekend with some sort of function be it a race, show or sale. I believe we need to carefully evaluate each request and decide if it fits in with the village character and also enhances the resident’s quality of life. Balance is the key: be business friendly and also be mindful that we all live here and may at times want to enjoy a less hectic weekend.

What do you feel are the best ways the village board, and you as a trustee if elected, can help keep village taxes at a reasonable level?

Not an easy task as we continue to lose sales tax money from the county per the revamping of allocations. We understand that residents expect village services remain high and taxes stay low.

Each year in March and April we go line by line in the budget and scrutinize each expenditure; do we need it at all or can it be done for less. How can we accomplish each service for less is paramount in my mind. Our department heads do a great job of working within budgets and always mindful of where they can save.

I would say if we continue down this same path of fiscal responsibility and resist spending what we don’t have we will continue to keep taxes at a reasonable level.

If you are currently a trustee, what is your proudest accomplishment(s) in office?

This past summer Trustee Mary Sennett and I co-chaired a committee that looked at the much-talked-about downtown parking regulations. We included on this committee business representatives, a chamber representative and a local architect who deals with these regulations on a day-to-day basis.

Foremost we looked at whether a $7,500 per-space fee for not having enough onsite parking was warranted. After much brainstorming we decided in the current economy with business down village-wide that it was not warranted. We also went through the entire downtown parking regulations adding and deleting regulations where needed and changing some much needed language and wording.

The final outcome was a streamlined regulation that all involved thought was clear, fair and business friendly. The new local law passed unanimously with no objections from residents or the business community.

What will be your agenda as a trustee if elected?

1. Maintain the cohesive board we have at present. The current village board has a nice blend of personalities, it’s imperative that we agree at each issues end for the betterment of the community, which we do.

2. Be in touch with residents. I intend to continue to walk around the village and ask homeowners to chime in on the issues and workings of the village.

3. Complete the proposed move of the village offices and police department to the old fire house site.

4. Connect and complete the creek walk in the Parkside development from W. Elizabeth Street to Fennel Street.

5. Raising taxes short of a catastrophe are not an option. We will continue to work within our means. Maintain service levels while working within the budget.

Sue Jones

Name:

Sue Jones

Background (education, profession, family, etc):

I earned my B.A. from Wells College in Aurora in 1978. My entire working career has been in the non-profit world; as a college staff member, as an early childhood teacher and center director, and now as the office manager at Baltimore Woods Nature Center. I also enjoy my part-time job at the Vermont Green Mountain Coffee and Chocolate Shop downtown.

My husband Paul (a proud member of our fire department) and I have five grown children, a daughter-in-law, and a beautiful new granddaughter. Both of our daughters are being married this year. I enjoy my garden in my spare time and play soccer, softball and enjoy kayaking with a terrific group of women friends.

My most important job was being Matt and Ellen’s mom. When we moved to the village in 1988, Matt was entering first grade and Ellen was three. I am proud to have raised my family here, proud of our community and hope that one or all of the kids can return to live here to raise their own children.

Political experience:

I was first elected a trustee in 2002. If re-elected again this year for a sixth term, this will be my final term and I will retire in 2015. Before my election as a trustee, my only political experience was serving as the president of my senior class in college.

Why are you running for village trustee?

I have greatly enjoyed my service and am very interested in the proposed project to renovate the old fire station on Fennell Street to house the village office and police station. I believe that I could make a good contribution to this project and help get it done.

Why should people vote for you?

I hope that voters will believe that my experience is an asset to our board. The current group is working very well together and I think that the blend of new and experienced members is positive.

What is your position on renovating the Fennell Street fire station and moving village hall there, and why?

I am strongly in favor of this project. The average village resident is not well served by having our village office located along the lake in the downtown district. Returning this valuable property to the tax rolls, combining the police station and village office in the renovated building on Fennell Street, opening up additional parking on the site, and improving the street edge of the property make great sense to me.

What is your position on further improvements to public parking in the village, and why?

New trustees Mary Sennett and John Cromp led a great effort this fall to revise the off-street parking regulations. If we could complete the proposed Fennell Street project and open up some additional parking (both fee and free) on that site, I believe that we would be in good shape for the foreseeable future.

What is your position on the number of events that currently take place in downtown Skaneateles, typically in Clift and Shotwell parks (races, boat shows, concerts, graduation, etc, etc)? Do you feel there may be too many, that things should be more limited or more regulated? Or do you feel that things are fine as they are?

I believe that a vibrant downtown benefits everyone. I enjoy the Friday night band concerts and am thrilled that our community holds graduation in the park. I am a big fan of and volunteer for the Labor Day races.

When requests for new events come before the board, we try hard to make sure that village residents are not adversely impacted and that there is a benefit for the entire community. We have voted “no” more often than folks may realize. Balance is important.

What do you feel are the best ways the village board, and you as a trustee if elected, can help keep village taxes at a reasonable level?

The term “reasonable” is very relative. Some people think that villages taxes are an enormous bargain and some feel that they are way too high. We will continue to work hard to provide a high level of service with a budget that will get increasingly tighter.

Many costs are beyond our control at the local level, and health insurance and pension reform will become increasingly important if any village, town, county or school district is to limit cost increases and still provide quality services.

The village is fortunate to have a very well qualified and talented group of department heads who are working very hard.

If you are currently a trustee, what is your proudest accomplishment(s) in office?

There are many proud moments, but the opening of the new fire station and when our police department earned accreditation are pretty high on the list. I want to be clear that I was not a member of the working committee who labored for years to get the new firehouse built, and that committee deserves enormous credit.

Our police department deserves the credit for becoming an accredited department. I am proud to have recruited Rick Galbato, the fine attorney who advises our planning and zoning boards.

If you are not a trustee, what public service(s) have you provided of which you are most proud?

If you will indulge my answering this question, I was one of the supporters who helped John and Debbie Covell organize the Youth Soccer organization in our community, back in the early 1990s.

What will be your agenda as a trustee if elected?

To work hard, be well prepared for meetings and work sessions, to listen more than speak and to make the best possible decisions on behalf of residents and taxpayers. I have tried to be accessible and would certainly continue that. I would work to understand or at least appreciate both points of view regarding an issue, but would be willing to make a decision and not just tell people what they wanted to hear.

Jim Lanning

Name:

Jim Lanning

Background (education, profession, family, etc):

1980 graduate of Skaneateles Central Schools. Attended Cayuga Community College and Bloomsburg University: I have recently returned to CCC to finish the degree that I started 30 years ago. After a 25-year career in the food service and trucking industry, I have transitioned into a career of public service.

I am currently a part time constituent service representative in the 25th Congressional District office. I live with my girlfriend Lea Whaley and my dog Sandi.

Political experience:

Staff member of the 25th Congressional office. Member Town of Skaneateles Zoning Board of Appeals.

Why are you running for village trustee?

I believe serving on village and town boards is a responsibility of each generation. We have had a long list of dedicated people who have served our community well over the years. It is my generation’s time to step up and oversee the management of our unique community.

Why should people vote for you?

I have spent the last couple of years attending meetings and learning about the many different aspects of our local government. I am a positive thinking, determined individual with an unbridled enthusiasm for this community.

What is your position on renovating the Fennell Street fire station and moving village hall there, and why?

I have advocated in favor of this move for a long time. I want to make sure that we are working from a master plan with an incremental step approach as we go. We should not borrow money for this, or spend more than we have budgeted.

What is your position on further improvements to public parking in the village, and why?

Renovating the old fire house and removing the old police station will create new parking spaces right in the heart of the village. I would like to explore the possible use of remote parking areas and a shuttle service for the 10 to 15 heaviest parking days of the year.

What is your position on the number of events that currently take place in downtown Skaneateles, typically in Clift and Shotwell parks (races, boat shows, concerts, graduation, etc, etc)? Do you feel there may be too many, that things should be more limited or more regulated? Or do you feel that things are fine as they are?

We are starting to reach our limit. Perhaps we need to establish some quiet weekends free of events and activities.

What do you feel are the best ways the village board and you as a trustee if elected, can help keep village taxes at a reasonable level?

Budgets should always start with a revenue number and work down from there. The search for consolidation of resources will be constant when I am elected.

If you are not a trustee, what public service(s) have you provided of which you are most proud?

The most rewarding public service that I provide is my time with The Laker Limo. I would like to see more people utilize this truly wonderful service that is available to the community.

What will be your agenda as a trustee if elected?

My agenda will be to always remember that I am a representative of the community. I will maintain a sense of humility to what will be entrusted to me. I will work tirelessly to maintain the pristine lake and wonderful village that surrounds it.