In Lysander, Town Clerk Dina Falcone and Justice Michael Bryant are up for re-election. Also on the ballot are five candidates running for two seats on the Lysander Town Board and two candidates running for highway superintendent.
The 2021 general election is Tuesday, Nov. 2. For information about polling places and early voting, visit ongov.net/elections or contact the Onondaga County Board of Elections at 315-435-8683.
Town councilor (choose 2)
Gene Dinsmore
Conservative, Lysander Community Party
Dinsmore is the former Lysander highway superintendent and served in the U.S. Army as a 1st Sgt.
How will your experience serve you in government?
Educated (SUNY civil tech degree) and experienced in infrastructure construction, maintenance and budgeting, plus military training in leadership and management.
What do you think are the biggest challenges in your community?
Controlling development and maintaining the resulting infrastructure sprawl. Providing adequate recreational facilities and controlling costs of all of the above.
What are your ideas for addressing these challenges?
Elect responsible and knowledgeable leaders who can smoothly and responsibly administer the duties and tasks necessary to operate town government.
Bob Geraci (incumbent)
Republican
Geraci retired as the commissioner of Onondaga County Parks. To learn more, visit Bob Geraci Lysander Town Board on Facebook.
How will your experience serve you in government?
My experience as the former commissioner of Onondaga County Parks gave me a breadth of knowledge of budgets and public administration. We now enjoy the lowest tax rate in Onondaga County. Second, is a deep appreciation for the value of green space and farmland. I have stressed that new developments do two things: one, they need to show they can be sustainable in terms of new and future costs such as snowplowing, road repairs and other infrastructure needs. Second, is to strive to protect natural areas impacted by those developments by finding ways to protect some of those areas.
What do you think are the biggest challenges in your community?
Lysander is seeing increasing development interest. New housing development is often heralded as always good for a community because of the new tax dollars that are generated. Often overlooked are long term costs of road repair and other infrastructure items. In addition, green space or farmland that is lost is obviously lost forever. Development also brings other items of concern such as increased traffic. But there are ways of making sure development is done in a way that takes into account the overall unique look of the town of Lysander so as not to have a cookie-cutter approach to housing but instead retains and protects natural areas and insures that all future costs will be provided for by the taxes generated by those developments.
Costs of doing business are always a concern, but maintaining our frugality will insure we can deal with these while keeping a stable tax rate.
What are your ideas for addressing these challenges?
One way to insure that new development will be able to pay for new and future costs including snowplowing (perhaps new trucks and personnel that may be needed), and most importantly, the costs of road repair, is to project future costs and to analyze if the taxes from the development can sustain those items when those needs arise. The second item is to try to protect green space or farmland without having the town actually purchase such lands. The solution to both items may be the same: suggest the developer build the same number of units but on smaller parcels of land and then set the remaining undeveloped land aside as conservation easements or something similar to protect them from future development. This approach can serve as a guideline to protect the town financially as well as to maintain the ambiance of Lysander that we all are proud of and enjoy.
Andrew Mahaffy
Republican
Mahaffy is an enterprise account executive for Salesforce. To learn more, visit linkedin.com/in/drew-mahaffy/.
How will your experience serve you in government?
With over 20 state representative meetings in Albany, working with lobbyists to reduce higher education costs, and almost 15 years consulting colleges and university leadership regarding tech-debt reduction and operational improvement, I feel well prepared to represent my neighbors on the Lysander Town Board. My three sons attend school in BCSD, I am an active youth sports coach, and my wife is a health care professional supporting our community. I love Lysander and wish to serve this community on the Lysander Town Board.
What do you think are the biggest challenges in your community?
Lysander is known and loved for its vast green space, friendly neighbors, commitment to the community and safety. My goals as a member of the Lysander Town Board are to preserve the aforementioned characteristics, as well as build upon them. Growth is wonderful for our town but it has to be a controlled growth and I think that is a concern for all of our neighbors. Careful budget allocation, keeping the tax rate low and putting what is best for Lysander and our residents at the front of all decisions is vital and my mission.
What are your ideas for addressing these challenges?
Keeping in mind that I would be serving Lysander and the residents of Lysander would drive every decision. Working closely with the other board members, the citizens of Lysander, and considering what best serves the needs of Lysander now to preserve Lysander later is my plan to approaching challenges as they arise. I take pride in an empathetic approach to decisions and understanding that several viewpoints provide the information needed to find a solution that is best for those involved, even if everyone doesn’t agree. The right thing to do is often the hardest thing but with proper due diligence, we can be confident in our approach and decision(s).
Kevin Rode
Democratic, Conservative
Rode is division manager at Solvents & Petroleum Service. To learn more, add Kevin Rode for Lysander Town Board on Facebook or email [email protected].
How will your experience serve you in government?
I have been a manager at almost every job I have worked at over the last 20 years. In my work experience I have dealt with many different types of customers and people. I believe this will help me be an excellent town councilor.
What do you think are the biggest challenges in your community?
One of the challenges facing our town board is communication with the citizens and taxpayers of Lysander. Another challenge is balancing commercial and residential development with our rural roots and character.
What are your ideas for addressing these challenges?
As I have attended and interacted with the town board over the last 10 years, I notice that very few people attend Town Board meetings. I will work for a more inviting atmosphere and also will do outreach nights in different areas of Lysander to allow people easier access to their elected officials and share their issues and concerns.
As Lysander grows, maintaining the balance of our rural and suburban areas is a great concern to many of the citizens that reside here. Lysander is in the middle of updating our town Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP). With the recent warehouse development, this is a good time to revisit zoning and what the residents of Lysander may need as we look to the future.
William B. Stowell
Democratic, Working Families
Stowell works in logistics management. To learn more, visit facebook.com/ElectWillStowell.
How will your experience serve you in government?
From 17 years of successful personnel and budget management experience, I’ve learned that open and honest communication is the key to coming together to resolve any problem in the best way possible. I believe that is key in government as well. Elected officials that encourage a strong level of engagement with residents is what we need here in Lysander.
What do you think are the biggest challenges in your community?
We have a lot of great natural resources here in Lysander, which makes it a wonderful community and a desirable to place to live. Balancing expansion with the rural/small-town feel that we enjoy is our biggest challenge.
Another ongoing challenge is maintaining the lowest tax rate in the county while meeting our needs. While we have been able to maintain this low rate for some time, my experience with managing large operations with finite resources will help ensure the town can not only meet residents’ needs, but also make our town a better place to live.
What are your ideas for addressing these challenges?
The best way to address these challenges is to be involved, which is something that can be lacking in smaller town political positions. Though I do plan to explore finishing the 631 bypass to mediate traffic in the village, there isn’t one big splash that one can do to solve the challenges of our town. Doing the work before and after meetings, including engaging residents and understanding short- and long-term implications of decisions is what is going to meet these challenges.
One individual can’t do it alone. The experience of running for the board has opened my eyes to a variety of matters that need to be addressed. I want to hear from every person so that together, we can make our town the best it can be.
Highway superintendent
Kenneth Svitak
Republican
Svitak is currently employed by the Village of Baldwinsville Department of Public Works.
How will your experience serve you in government?
My 20-plus years of experience with road maintenance, site development, snow plowing and job foreman has prepared me to positively impact my interactions and directives for the job at hand.
What do you think are the biggest challenges in your community?
I feel the biggest challenge in our community is the desire to maintain the small-town feel amongst the rapid rate of growth.
What are your ideas for addressing these challenges?
My idea is to run the Highway Dept. with a sense of ownership and servitude. I will approach each job with the mindset of “How would I want my family to feel in this situation?” My goal is to give the community peace of mind. Whether sunny or snowing, they should feel safe and confident to travel the streets of Lysander.
Eagle Newspapers was unable to reach highway superintendent candidate Danny Parrish (Conservative, Lysander Community Party).
Town clerk
Dina Falcone (incumbent, running unopposed)
Republican, Conservative
Falcone was elected town clerk in 2016. To learn more, visit facebook.com/lysandertownclerkbaldwinsville/.
How will your experience serve you in government?
Before being elected town clerk in 2016, I worked for the Town of Salina Justice Court and town supervisor. Prior, as a constituent service representative for NYS Sen. DeFrancisco, I worked with constituents on a daily basis. As a liaison between the senator’s office and various state agencies, I was able to help many residents who sought assistance when they otherwise had nowhere to turn. I hold a master’s degree in teaching, and am currently the secretary for the Seneca River Fire Department. I also serve on the board of directors for the NYS Association of Local Government Records Officers.
What do you think are the biggest challenges in your community?
Sometimes residents don’t know who to talk to when they have an issue. Although the role of a municipal clerk is dictated by law or statute, my office offers some of the most basic services expected by residents. When someone doesn’t know where to go, or who to call, they can always reach out my office. I’ll direct them to where they need to go or what they need to do. In fact, municipal clerks are often the first and most direct link between residents and government.
My position is also responsible for providing transparency in local government.
What are your ideas for addressing these challenges?
I believe social media outlets are a great way to keep residents aware of what’s going on. Social media has a unique opportunity to demonstrate transparency, and build trust at a time when faith in government and connection with local leaders are challenged regularly. From time to time, I also write articles for the local papers to keep residents informed. I have worked very hard to streamline my office to give the residents of Lysander the service they have come to expect. I am always reviewing the annual budget and searching for ways to save the town money. In my years of service, I have saved the town over $27,000. I will always strive to improve the overall efficiency of my office and make things more convenient for our residents.
Town justice
Michael Bryant (incumbent, running unopposed)
Republican, Conservative
Bryant is an attorney and has served two terms as town justice.
How will your experience serve you in government?
I am seeking re-election to a third term as the Lysander Town Justice. I am a Baldwinsville native and have been a CNY resident for my entire life, excepting my time as a college student and my time on active duty with the U.S. Army. I have been endorsed by the Republican Party, Conservative Party, and the Onondaga County Veterans Party. I would be honored to have your support to continue serving the residents of our town.
What do you think are the biggest challenges in your community?
Navigating COVID has been challenging for all of us. With safety always at the forefront, I am proud to say the Lysander Town Court has and will continue to serve the community during these unprecedented times.
What are your ideas for addressing these challenges?
COVID has necessitated many changes in the court’s operation. For example, having people wait in their cars until their case is called, allowing video and audio appearances, encouraging case resolution through correspondence, and adjusting work schedules to limit exposure. We will continue to look for other opportunities to mitigate exposure to staff and the public as we all find our way through this pandemic.
