In keeping with the Eagle Newspaper policy of not running election related letters in the print edition the week prior to an election, we will not be running any election related letters in the print issue of March 13. Below is a collection of all election related letters for the Baldwinsville Messenger including endorsements and opinions on moving election dates. Any other letters received relating to elections will be added here as time allows.
Support for the Village Party
To the editor:
I am writing to offer my complete support for the 2024 Village Party Candidates.
The Village Party’s slate of candidates; Bruce Stebbins, Joe Cole, Megan O’Donnell, and Michael Shepard together offer a tremendous amount of experience and knowledge of the Village of Baldwinsville’s operations and government.
Our candidates have served on the various committees and have firsthand experience on the workings of village government. Consider various labor relations with the staff and unions, State and Federal agencies, DEC and all the alphabet groups and the County that has many agencies that require operational compliance. That is the experience we need and the experience our candidates have to offer.
This kind of experience is invaluable for the people of Baldwinsville.
I find this group to be intelligent, thoughtful, and caring individuals. They listen and consider the issues and do what is right for all the Village residents and they do not patronize the squeaky wheels.
This group as with all Village Party candidates is not in it for the glory or for a stepping stone to other political offices and they do not have any hidden agendas. There might be some gray hair among the group but they know a thing or two about how to run a village!
In today’s harsh political climate, with the NY State demonizing local governments and trying to influence one party rule wherever they can, let us keep our village independent and out of nauseating partisan politics.
Keep our experienced leaders and keep our March elections. Vote Village Party!
Thank You.
Andy Dryden
Election primer
To the editor:
Today’s lesson is a Yes-No primer in village election voting. After all, Election Day is rapidly approaching – March 19, noon to 9 p.m. at Baldwinsville Village Hall at16 W. Genesee St.
Here goes:
Vote yes to the Village Party (Mayor Bruce Stebbins, Trustees Megan O’Donnell, Mike Shepard and Joe Cole).
Why?
The Village of Baldwinsville is in great shape because of a Village Party platform of transparency, fiscal responsibility and quality services.
There are no national party affiliations to answer to, only an obligation to the taxpayers. This includes securing millions of dollars in grants over the past decade including $700,000 a year in county aid for our infrastructure, hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants for street paving, NYSERDA grants for environmental upgrades – oh, and $800,000 in ARPA grants from the federal government.
Our police department follows community policing guidelines while keeping our village one of the safest in the state. We have police protection in all our village schools and, through grants, we have instituted the use of body cameras.
Our talented DPW that keeps our yard waste picked up, our streets plowed all winter, maintains our numerous parks and trails, helps implement our Tree City USA efforts (we have been an honored municipality for over 30 years), has used numerous grants to upgrade our water (new pumps, new fluoridation system, new security measures) and sewer services, paved the Little League parking lot, and relieved flooding possibilities by replacing the Warner Avenue culvert and excavating the Tannery Creek basin (using grant money).
The village got millions of dollars in grant money for downtown businesses to redo their facades (nearly 30 businesses were able to upgrade their looks).
We have upgraded technology to get codes forms listed online and enable court fines and village water bills to be paid easily online.
Our Memorial Day (on the day) Parade is one of the best in the county and remains non-political. We play a huge part in the popular Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot as well as the Parade of Lights and the Christmas tree lighting.
And all of this is done with taxes kept under control.
Vote no on moving elections to November.
Why? Because it casts our village into a sea – no, a quagmire – of national election issues. We have successfully kept the Republicans and Democrats from subjecting our important Village issues to secondary status. Keep Baldwinsville’s local issues local.
Vote yes for June elections.
Dick Clarke
Former Mayor, Village of Baldwinsville
The facts
To the editor:
A small group of Baldwinsville residents argue that moving village elections to November means candidates will run on national party lines and the village will suffer.
Here are the facts:
Six villages in Onondaga County have moved to November elections: Liverpool, Solvay, Tully, East Syracuse, Camillus, and Elbridge. There have been no riots in those villages. No one has died from November elections. It appears these villages are operating well.
Three of those six, Tully, East Syracuse, and Camillus still run on independent party lines, not Republican and Democrat as the naysayers would have you believe is a given in November elections. And the villages that do run on national party lines have not fallen into chaos.
According to the Onondaga County Board of Elections, villages with November elections saw up to a 900% increase in voter turnout. In Baldwinsville, where we typically see 150 to 200 voters turn out for March elections, that would mean nearly 2,000 of the 5,200+ registered voters would choose our village leaders, not just a handful who happen to remember that elections are in March. When we passed petitions to get Proposition 2 on this year’s ballot, most of the people we talked to did not know village elections were in March. Several petition signers said they had lived here for decades, some multi-generational, and had never voted in a village election. This is unacceptable.
The village is publicizing the election this year, but only because we’ve been complaining about the lack of publicity for two years. If we hadn’t called attention to the problem, they never would have publicized it. In fact, several of the current trustees said publicly at the November 16, 2023 village meeting that it is voters’ responsibility to find out when elections are, who is running, and what they stand for.
I recently met a couple who moved to Baldwinsville from Camillus in 2022. They couldn’t understand why people were talking about elections in March, because elections are in November. That’s the norm in Camillus and most places in the United States. We should vote when everyone knows it’s election day.
One resident has complained vociferously that Brighter Baldwinsville mailed letters to a few village Democrats. Yes, we mailed letters to Democrats who vote in every election because, in general, Democrats are in favor of more people voting. We mentioned that all three candidates are registered Democrats, but we said more about political parties that she won’t tell you about:
“They are all registered Democrats, but truly, in village elections, party doesn’t matter. We all want the same things: thriving businesses, safe walkways, attractive downtown, dependable infrastructure, transparency, value for our tax dollars. Villages don’t have Republican/Democrat issues. We have local issues. And we need good local people who share our values serving on the Village Board of Trustees.”
On March 19, vote for Brighter Baldwinsville candidates Donna Freyleue, James Miller, and Brian Burmeister. Vote yes to November elections. Vote no to the June elections.
Vickie Freyleue
Baldwinsville
The key
To the editor:
The key to the case – small towns come up with the best ways to govern their communities through local politics that are based on engagement with their citizens. And the decisions made from that engagement are based on the “greater good” being served — not controlling the conversation or the agenda but honestly and ethically serving their communities.
I see zero benefit from tying village elections to the national questions that will be put to us in November. As a mayor of a small mountain town not unlike B’ville in many ways -I urge to keep your elections locally based and may the best candidates win.
Rick Stevens
Baldwinsville Class of ’69
Do your homework
To the editor:
Over the last few weeks I have read the letters regarding the supposed “coup of ’22” led by “Democrats” and wanted to clarify to the voters of the Village of Baldwinsville a few misconceptions.
I am speaking as a concerned citizen of Lysander, not an elected official or for any political party. I am also not a village resident, so I hold no voting power or influence on the election. I did, however, assist with this alleged “coup” in 2022. This supposed coup, which was a small effort write-in campaign, came because even long-time village residents did not know the timeline of getting on the ballot to run for village elections. Given the opportunity to get their names on the ballot had passed, the only option was a write-in campaign for the interested candidates. Due to the lack of turnout in unopposed March elections (3-5% of the registered voters), the best opportunity for a write-in candidate would be to run a “quiet campaign.”
Those who decided to run knew it was an uphill battle, but they tried nonetheless. I assisted these residents, whom I consider friends, with their attempt. They were a concerned group of residents that felt they did not have a voice or an open ear on the board to their concerns or ideas. I can say that even though the attempt has been discounted, some of the people writing letters over the last few weeks were extremely concerned about the possibility of losing in 2022, to the point a text/social media chain was created to “turn out the vote” in their favor.
It is disappointing to read the triggering words of “coup,” “steal,” and “ugliness” written in their letters to try and frighten people into thinking that moving an election or voting for new trustees would bring an end to the village and its voice.
To also bring national political party affiliation into the conversation to try and further the divisiveness speaks volumes of where they truly stand. I asked after the 2022 election how one would attend a meeting or get to receive the Village Party endorsement, but was only told that they hold meetings and they are “invite only.” Seems pretty open and transparent to me.
If only 3-5% (roughly 150 out of 5200 voters) of the voting populace take the time to vote every two years, something needs to change. Even if the candidates are on the “back of the ballot” if moved to November, I suspect more than 3-5% would vote.
June is also an option, created by the current board of trustees that would still give the village their own unique Election Day and give candidates a better opportunity to chat with residents in better weather.
I urge the voters of Baldwinsville to do their homework before they vote on March 19.
The decisions made in the village have an effect on the surrounding area.
Kevin Rode
Lysander
Write in candidate
To the editor:
I am running as a write-in candidate for trustee in the upcoming Village of Marcellus election. I take great pride in my hometown and the beautiful village I have chosen to remain a part of. I have always believed that I can make a valuable contribution and positive difference here. Recent events have greatly affected village life for me and my neighbors. In light of this, I feel that my time has come to actively participate. I can make my positive contribution and lend a hand to the unheard voices. The Village of Marcellus election will be held on March 19 from noon to 9 p.m. at the village hall at 6 Slocombe Avenue in Marcellus. There is a box on the ballot that you can mark and write my name in for trustee.
I grew up in Marcellus and graduated from Marcellus High School in 1993. I have lived in our village since 2009. I have worked many years in a supervisory position in telecommunications within a federal facility, as well as having experience in the manufacturing industry. I am confident that I can listen to the community, critically evaluate issues, and make sound decisions which represent what my fellow residents want and need.
During the past few months, as many have heard, there have been surprising developments regarding our beloved grocery store and a subsequent moratorium imposed by our village board. I’ve been closely observing these events as they unfold and seeing my neighbors’ discomfort. I feel that the best way for me to make a meaningful contribution is to actually participate in local government.
A great way for citizens to be heard is to vote. Many residents don’t realize that our village elections are held in March. They also don’t realize how crucial it is to have more than one candidate running for a particular office. We need to have choices, be aware of them, and be brave enough to make them. We cannot be heard, if no one stands up to oppose a lone candidate. I would like to offer my neighbors a choice; a new candidate for Trustee. I encourage all Village of Marcellus voters to consider writing my name on the ballot this March 19.
I will be out and about in the village, speaking with as many residents as possible. In the meantime, please feel free to email me at [email protected] if you have any questions. I would be happy to have discussions and share tips on how to write in a candidate this March 19.
Marlene Spencer
Marcellus
Baldwinsville elections
To the editor:
I read with interest the February 14, 2024 letter from former Baldwinsville mayor’s wife Linda Clarke listing her reasons for being against moving village elections to November. In her letter, Mrs. Clarke states that Snowbirds who are down south for the winter months can easily obtain an absentee ballot mailed to them in Florida or wherever they are.
The Clarkes seem to have changed their opinion about the “quality votes” of snowbirds who leave Baldwinsville in the winter.
In the March 29, 2022 issue of the Baldwinsville Messenger, former Mayor Clarke is quoted thusly:
While the pull of tradition is strong — “It’s been that way as long as anybody that I know can remember,” Clarke said of B’ville’s March elections — there are other reasons Baldwinsville has been reluctant to change the way it runs its elections.
Clarke said that people who only vote in fall elections tend to be the ones who work in Syracuse and vacation elsewhere and treat Baldwinsville like a bedroom community.
“The people who vote in the spring, while it’s not as many as we would like, they’re there because they care,” he said.
Mr. Clarke’s assertion that people who are here to vote in the spring care about the village implies that people who work in Syracuse or vacation in Florida don’t care about the village.
Fellow Baldwinsville residents, do you treat the village as a bedroom community, someplace to sleep while you go have fun elsewhere? Or do you consider this your home, the place you’re proud to call your village?
I encourage all Baldwinsville residents who care about the village to vote YES to moving village elections to November and vote NO to moving village elections to June.
Vickie Freyleue
Baldwinsville
Political ugliness
To the editor:
This is my response to John Tonello’s letter of a week ago.
Let me first say that John Tonello, who was the chair of the village planning board, participated in a secret Democrat-led write-in campaign – a virtual coup – to try and steal control of village government in 2022. It failed.
He apologized to me and said he knew it was doomed when many of the houses he visited looking for support were shocked that anybody would suggest they not vote for me.
I was not an absentee mayor. I never missed a meeting – live or via Zoom. There were no secrets.
The mayor position is part-time but during COVID – the better part of three years – I worked fulltime to keep our employees safe while keeping the village functioning. I was in constant contact with the clerk, the treasurer, the police chief, the highway superintendent and Canton Woods as well as county health officials, other county mayors and the state mayors association. We did not have one day where our citizens were without these services.
During COVID, I never failed to sign a letter or a contract that sought my signature. I returned all phone calls.
The village received $800,000 in ARPA money and, to date, has spent $600,000 on village needs, including police department special equipment and DPW needs such as the renovation of the Warner Avenue culvert/ Tannery Creek basin renovation, Doane Well repairs, touchless faucets installed in all village bathrooms because of COVID, repair of Kossy Lane drainage culvert, renovation of Smokey Hollow detention basin as well as the replacement of several fire hydrants. And more.
We share many services with our neighboring towns such as Canton Woods Senior Center, PAC-B, Reeves Little League field, covering code officer vacations as well as sharing trucks on projects and for events like the Parade of Lights. We share with the school district – including fuel for our vehicles.
The grant to develop waterfront has languished – not because of the village or Lysander – but because of the red tape involved in the higher levels of government setting up the program.
As for water infrastructure, the Village has replaced pumps at both wells, replaced the electrical system at Canton Street, received a grant for a new fluoridation system and is installing security systems at both wells.
And the village tax base was $451-million last year and, with equalization, the tax base this year is $491-million.
Unfortunately, the letter by Tonello – laced with inaccuracies — is a perfect example of the political ugliness Village Party members seek to avoid by asking for a no vote on moving village elections to November.
Dick Clarke
Retired Mayor, Village of Baldwinsville
Current board working well
To the editor:
Some people like to think that 1) lights on the bridge, 2) concerts, and 3) moving the date of the village elections are all serious issues. While the first two can add to the quality of life of our residents, but there are so many more things the Board is in charge of, such as: 1. Police Department, including negotiations every few years. 2. Village court. 3. Department of public works, equipment, vehicle purchases, snow plowing, repairing streets, keeping the parks in shape, sewers, installing sidewalks, water break repairs, etc. 4. Water department – testing and treating our drinking water to keep it safe and to take care of any issues that come up with the wells. 5. Grants – to apply for and get approval for the Grants that are available. And the current board has applied for and has received many grants for the village. 6. Parks – Continuously improve and maintain four beautiful parks in the village. 7. Yearly budgets – The village board makes the new budget yearly to cover all necessary expenses, while keeping the cost down at the same time. 8. Hire a promoter for concerts on the Island. (FYI: The promoter we had last year dropped the ball so the board has been working on another solution.). 9. And so much more!! Somuch more!
The current village board is made up of seven residents, the mayor and six trustees. Six of them are very knowledgeable and experienced for what the village needs to keep running smoothly; at the lowest cost to residents. One gentleman hasn’t been on the Board long, but he is doing well and learning as he goes. They are all active in the community and serve in other ways to make Baldwinsville a great place to live.
The incumbent candidates for this election are Mayor Bruce Stebbins, Mike Shepard, Megan O’Donnell and Joe Cole. They do a great work for the village and they work extremely well together to get the job done. They will have my vote again on March 19. Elections are from 12-9:00 at village hall!
The village board is not made up of Democrat or Republican candidates and that’s how it should stay. If elections are moved to November, at some point, they will become that, no matter what you are told now. We don’t need that division here in our little neighborly village. We see the chaos in towns, states and the country when politics get in the way, vote no for November and vote yes for June elections.
Please keep the Village of Baldwinsville running at its best by voting for the 4 current candidates and for voting to have village elections in June, not November.
Linda Clarke
Baldwinsville
Suggestions for Burtis
To the editor:
On Jan. 3, 2024 I sent an e-mail to newly appointed Chairman of the Onondaga County Legislature Tim Burtis congratulating him on his selection.
I made some suggestions of what to work on.
We have $180 million of County reserves. I suggested-cut County taxes, pay down county debt, improve county employees pay, improve county spending for critical programs.
I did not suggest suing the state.
Laurance Pettersen
Cicero
No wonder
To the editor:
It’s no wonder a majority of Baldwinsville Board of Trustees see no need to move village elections from March to November, when common sense shows it would lead to bigger turnouts. Instead, they buy the idea the current board is “not broke” and knows what it’s doing – despite clear evidence our village government is in steady decline
For example:
Absentee mayor
It was an open secret for two years leading up to Mayor Dick Clarke’s resignation last November that he did not attend a single village board meeting in person, cast no binding votes, and rarely went to village hall. His wife’s inability to get the COVID-19 vaccine was the lamentable reason, but he collected his $15,300 salary while not showing up to work. He let important decisions slip through the cracks, and crushed morale of village staff. Incumbent trustees looked the other way.
Decreasing tax base
Since Micron announced plans to invest $100 billion in Onondaga County, municipalities have done well to attract new residential and commercial investment. Not Baldwinsville. The incumbent trustees have rejected millions in investment, including the Phillips Street housing project, allowing the village’s tax base to drop from $451 million to $447 million last year alone.
No investment in a comprehensive plan
The village has no long-term planning document to guide future development, and has dragged its feet on pursuing one. Onondaga County in 2023 set aside $50,000 for the village to do just that. As planning board chairman, I informed mayors Clarke and Stebbins of this free money, to no avail.
No investment in water infrastructure
The village maintains its own water pumping station and infrastructure, but has not invested in upgrades or security in years. A major water main break in December was not the first to disrupt business and residential activity, but won’t be the last. The incumbent trustees have seen no reason to make any critical investments.
No ARP Funding
To that end, despite what you may think of the $350 billion post-COVID American Rescue Plan aid, the incumbent board of trustees had a duty to pursue that money for capital projects that bring jobs and upgrade municipal infrastructure. They did not seek a single dime for the village.
No intermunicipal shared services
For decades, counties, cities, towns and villages have shared services to save money and improve services. Despite being part of two towns, the village has not explored or implemented any such sharing that could save Baldwinsville taxpayers money. A state grant awarded to the Town of Lysander and the village for developing the waterfront has languished because of village inaction.
This is just a small example of what’s broken with the Baldwinsville board. If it weren’t for exceptional staff, such as treasurer Mark Baker and clerk Jody DePaulis, the board and our village would be even further adrift. Please help fix what ails us: Vote to move elections to November, and vote to remove incumbents from the board March 19.
John Tonello
Baldwinsville
Village election dates
To the editor:
There is a group of people that think the Village of Baldwinsville should change their village elections from March to November.
Other residents, like me, don’t agree.
Why? These are the points they make and my explanation as to why I don’t agree.
Weather: they say November has better weather for residents to get out to vote: Not always, sometimes November has worse weather than March. We live in NY, NY weather is finicky.
Location: they say it would be easier to know you vote at the same place as general elections: Why is it hard to know that village elections are always held at the village hall in the village?
Cost: they say putting village elections with the large general elections will save a lot of money: I don’t think that approximately .50¢ a year per household is a lot of money. (We have done the math.) That .50¢ a year per household keeps village elections away from the Democrat/Republic chaos that can come out of the huge elections, ie: Trump vs. Biden. We don’t need that division here.
More people will vote: they say more people will vote and their voices will be heard: Some people might not even realize there is a village election until they see it on the ballot. By that time, they wouldn’t have had time to research each candidate to know the best ones to vote for. Would they then randomly vote for a name they had heard of, without knowing where that person stands on specific issues that the village board deals with?
Village doesn’t advertise: The village puts up polling place signs, mentions the election dates during meetings and in legal notices. They also said they will do more to publicize the dates to get on the ballot and elections in the future. Homeowners usually have many candidate signs in their front yards.
Snowbirds are gone in March: they say many people are out of the area in March: Absentee ballots will be mailed directly to any resident who will not be in the area on Election Day! Even to those who can’t get out to vote! I know, I get them.
Parking: they say some people have had to wait for a parking spot at the village hall and might not have waited long enough to stay and vote: The village board already discussed how to improve that situation. And how is waiting for parking different than waiting in a long line to vote? The general elections, especially the potential one I mentioned above, produce a huge turnout and therefore, long lines. I’d rather wait for parking and then get right in and out.
Please cast your votes for the current Board Members, they are doing a great job. If it’s not broke, there’s nothing to fix.
Thank you for reading my concerns for our village elections!
Linda Clarke
Baldwinsville
