SKANEATELES– On March 16 Skaneateles voters will select a new mayor and fill two trustee seats on the village board.
Each candidate was asked to complete a questionnaire, starting with a brief introduction about themselves and their background and given the same questions to respond to, presenting their concerns and positions to the voters of the community.
Their responses are being run in alphabetical order starting with the candidates for the contested mayoral race with the trustee candidates following.
Candidates for mayor
Zack Ford
The sign that reads “1999 Odyssey of the Mind World Champions” in the village – I was on that team, and I grew up here. I’m now a screenwriter and a college instructor. I currently have a movie called “The Watcher” in production with some of the biggest producers in Hollywood. Though my agent thinks I should move to Los Angeles, I’m staying right here in Skaneateles, because this village is the most wonderful place in the world.
Why are you seeking to be elected?
I decided to run when I saw our lake getting polluted – we can save it if we work together! Right after our first toxic algal bloom, our current mayor broke environmental law, illegally cut down 49,000 square feet of lake-adjacent trees, installed an illegal pipe that dumped run-off into our drinking water, and yet he faced no consequences. My opponent, who was one of the village trustees at the time, remained silent, even when our mayor lied about what he’d done in the newspapers and started a smear-campaign against peaceful critics. Our lake cannot afford this kind of behavior. Our local government must be transparent and honest.
What do you see as major issues the village is facing and how would you address them?
If elected, I’d abolish the sidewalk tax my opponent levied when she was a trustee. You already pay enough taxes, and I’d slash that tax. I’d also repair our reputation: last year, when our current mayor went on his tirade that ended up on the Channel 9 News, people from neighboring communities stopped coming to our local restaurants and shops. My opponent again stayed silent. I would reach out to our surrounding communities, ensure them that Skaneateles is a tolerant and welcoming place, and bring that business back. Further, I’d ban toxic, cancer-causing pesticide lawn treatments in the village. No one’s children or pets are safe until that is done, and these chemicals pollute our lake. In 2019, when my opponent was a trustee, I gave her a petition with 2,057 people on it asking her to ban these chemicals just as they are banned on the grounds of village hall, and she ignored it. Also, I’d increase efficiency. The construction on East Lake Street took a year – I’ve seen entire skyscrapers in Manhattan go up faster. Of course, the central issue is Skaneateles Lake, and I have an entire action plan on my website FordForMayor.us designed to eradicate toxic algal blooms. Let’s heal our political divides as we heal our water.
What else should voters know about you?
As mayor, I would include everyone. In 2019, my opponent was on the village board when the ACLU reprimanded the village for the current mayor’s attempts to illegally close off village board meetings from the public. My door would be open to supporters and critics alike, because your elected officials should understand that they work for you. Now, my opponent has voted to sue the Town of Skaneateles for nearly $2,000,000 over water infrastructure. Why are we fighting and not working together? This lawsuit is an embarrassment to us all, and I’d put an end to it. And, the majority of businesses in the village are still inaccessible to those with differences in mobility, such as amputees and people who use wheelchairs. I’d work with business owners to make our village fully accessible within my first year of office. We must bring people in, not shut them out.
Mary Sennett
My husband and I have lived in Skaneateles for 30 years. I sold computers for IBM, founded a successful software company and was an elementary math teacher. When our three children were in school, I was active in their music, sports and church activities. As they moved on, I became involved in local government, the Skaneateles Lake Association and Sustainable Skaneateles. I’ve served on the town board and zoning board of appeals and am now a trustee on the village board.
Why are you seeking to be elected?
I’ve heard people call Skaneateles unique. They’re usually referring to our charming village and the fact that we’re at the north end of a gorgeous lake. Skaneateles is unique in many other ways too. We have our own electric department while most neighboring communities get their electricity from National Grid or NYSEG. We have our own water department while our neighbors have water supplied by OCWA. We have a 24/7 police department, a waste water treatment plant and a hardworking DPW. In many ways our village government is about managing a large utility. I have the knowledge and background to keep the lights on and the water flowing. My goal is to maintain the level of service that residents expect without having to raise taxes.
What do you see as major issues the village is facing and how would you address them?
Vehicle and traffic safety is one of my concerns. This is why I applied for and received a grant to study the traffic in the downtown area. Professionals will be in the village this summer to observe the traffic patterns and report on safety recommendations.
I’m in full support of our police chief’s traffic initiatives and encouraged the purchase of new speed monitoring equipment. This will give us a better understanding of when and where there are speed issues that need to be addressed.
Encouraging communication between our residents and our departments is one of my goals. Next month we’ll introduce an online survey about services provided by the police department. Your input is important and I hope this is the first of many feedback opportunities.
Continuing to address pedestrian safety on our sidewalks is another goal. I’m proud to have worked on the sidewalk initiative for installation of new sidewalks and repair of existing sidewalks. As a walker and as grandmother who walks with her young grandchildren, I know how important it is to have safe walking surfaces.
What else should voters know about you?
We have incredibly committed volunteers in Skaneateles with the fire department at the top of the list. As mayor I will continue to support and nurture volunteerism in our community. As our village continues to change, the volunteer organizations provide consistency for the quality of life we enjoy.
I’m also proud to be part of the village organization. We have outstanding employees and volunteer board members. They make it possible for us to continue to deliver services in a cost effective and efficient way
I’m a problem solver and a person who sees projects to completion. As your mayor, I will listen to your concerns and do my very best to address them.
Trustees
Ed Evans
My wife Brenda and I are natives of Ithaca. Since college graduation we have lived in many places including Martha’s Vineyard before moving here to “retire” in 2017. I have been active with Rotary previously serving as the president of the Hamilton Rotary Club and I am currently a member of the Skaneateles Rotary Club as well as an active member of the Cornell University Council. My professional experience includes more than 40 years in operations and human resources in the service industry with Saga Foodservice, Marriott, Aramark, and Cornell University among others.
Why are you seeking to be elected?
I am seeking election to this role because I have had the opportunity to benefit from almost all of the services provided to us by the village and I want to help ensure that our village is able to maintain this level of excellence. We moved here because of the unique residential character and quality of life in this village and I believe that I have the business experience, the interest and the time to help support preserving and enhancing that.
What do you see as major issues the village is facing and how would you address them?
A few of the major issues I see the village facing are: maintaining and upgrading our infrastructure (fire, police, electric, water, waste water treatment). These vital services require people as well as physical plant to deliver and I believe that my professional experiences can help ensure that we attract and retain the people needed to run them; vehicular traffic and the danger that volume, inattentive drivers and speed present for residents and tourists on both Genesee and on many local streets. I strongly support the work already in progress to study these issues and to make certain that at least speed is both monitored and strictly enforced at all hours of the day and night; ensuring that the north end of the lake remains a major element of attracting people to Skaneateles and a place that village residents can come to relax and enjoy. I will continue to support the great work being done by the Skaneateles Lake Association and other organizations to preserve the lake for future generations; managing the costs of operating all of the services provided to village residents. I will educate myself on village departmental costs and costs of similar departments in other municipalities to ensure that we are operating in the most efficient and cost effective manner working to ensure that we have best practices in place for these departments.
What else should voters know about you?
Brenda and I are committed to Skaneateles. Based upon our experiences in other places we have a deep appreciation for the importance of doing the right things the right way before it is too late. We have seen that it is much harder and more costly to fix things once they are broken. We have great respect for the work that has been done to preserve the quality of residential life in the village by the current and by previous administrations. Although I have much to learn about the public sector, I believe that the private sector skills and experience I bring will compliment and support our mayor and my fellow trustees in preserving the quality of life in Skaneateles that we all enjoy.
Tara Lynn
I was born and raised in the area, moved away for some years and now back raising my four kids with my husband Marty. I worked at Cornell University in Alumni Affairs in Development for seven years before starting my role as executive director of the Skaneateles Chamber of Commerce. I spent four wonderful years at the chamber and ultimately left to focus on my growing family. I truly enjoyed working in the village, getting to know the local businesses and organizing events and programs that added to the fun and lively atmosphere of our charming community. Serving as a village trustee would be my first political office.
Why are you seeking to be elected?
I had the opportunity to work with the village trustees during my time at the chamber and respect the work they do. I look forward to learning more about the different departments and relationships that exist to make our village run so efficiently.
What do you see as major issues the village is facing and how would you address them?
I would like to echo Mary and Ed’s comments about pedestrian safety and traffic control. Although we are located along Route 20, I believe there are things that we can do to make things safer for our community members and visitors. I would also like to focus on upgrading the public restrooms in the village. This was an area of concern that was highlighted from my time at the chamber and I think it’s equally important for residents and visitors to have a reliable public restroom to use when enjoying all of the amenities the downtown area has to offer.
What else should voters know about you?
I love living in Skaneateles, participating in all that the community has to offer, and giving back my time when I can. I’ve always been very impressed by the commitment of our residents…people step up constantly to make our community stronger and better. I enjoy seeing many of my friends move back, as well as meeting newcomers to our unique village.
