To the editor:

Doug Foster is in the running for reelection for Van Buren highway superintendent. His opponent, Mr. McIntyre, claims he has new ideas that are a reason to vote for him. He cites brush pickup and Park-a-Truck as new ideas.

First of all, the decisions on matters such as this rest with the town board, not the highway superintendent. Park-a-Truck is not a new idea. The village of Baldwinsville began this program before Mr. McIntyre was born, and the idea was considered and discounted for use in the town years ago by previous administrations. Brush pickup was considered by the town in 2005 and the proposal was rejected since the majority of taxpayers did not feel the service was necessary. Since that time, the Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency (OCRRA) has spent hundreds of thousands of tax dollars developing a yardwaste disposal site in Amboy. Most town residents who need this service have devised ways to get their yardwaste to the site without adding to taxpayer expense.

Both of these ideas would add to the cost of town government with additional manpower, equipment and contracts. These are not “new” ideas our town needs in light of the 2 percent or less tax cap.

Vote for Doug Foster, who has been running the highway department for the last six years in an efficient and professional manner, as evidenced by a decline in the highway tax rate. He is working for the taxpayers, not special interest groups.

Howard Tupper

Van Buren Town Councilor