To the editor:
My name is Jack Dooling and I served on the DeWitt Town Board from 2012 to 2015. I hope to win your vote for another term this November.
The 37 years I spent at Crouse Hinds as a purchasing agent served me well during my four years as town board member. I had an experienced eye for determining what the town needed in order to function well, and finding it for less.
For instance, by changing vendors, I cut town engineering services by $245,000 per year. I looked carefully and found less expensive ways of providing such things as cleaning services for town buildings, operating the highway department gas station, parks and recreation department busing, leaf pickup, rock salt distribution, grass cutting, legal services, town vending machines and much, much more. These are services that we often take for granted.
With seniors and those with disabilities in mind, I also spoke with Wegmans about wheelchair accessibility and helped in their decision to provide a paved walkway, rather than stone, at their East Syracuse store. I have helped one neighborhood solve a mosquito problem by removing standing water and dying trees. I helped another by facilitating the addition of a traffic sign to slow traffic.
I worked closely with our state representatives. When the Andrews Road Bridge was in dire need of repairs, I met with Senator DeFrancisco along with National Grid, Canal Corp and the DOT. The needed $120,000 worth of repairs were completed at no cost to the Town of DeWitt.
I care about improving the lives of those who live in DeWitt. I have been endorsed by the DeWitt Democratic Committee, the Working Families Party, the Veterans Party and the Greater Syracuse Labor Council. I have dedicated myself during my retirement to my community. My wife Pam and I were co-chairs for the 2017 9/11 Memorial ceremony at the DeWitt Town Hall. I serve on the board of directors and also volunteer at Vera House, Loretto and CodFISH in Dewitt which is an organization that provides rides to medical appointments to those who cannot drive.
I hope the DeWitt voters will give me a chance to help to further improve the efficiency of our town and the daily lives of our residents.
Jack Dooling
DeWitt
