VILLAGE OF BALDWINSVILLE – Village of Baldwinsville residents will be casting their ballots for mayor and three trustee seats. There are also two propositions on the ballot.
Village elections will be held from noon to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, March 19, at Village Hall, 16 W Genesee St, Baldwinsville.
There are six candidates for three trustee seat. In addition, Bruce Stebbins is running unopposed to fill the vacancy left when Dick Clarke resigned Nov. 30 of last year after nearly a decade as mayor.
The candidates replied to questions posed by the Messenger. Below are their responses.
Candidate for mayor:
Bruce Stebbins
Village Party (unopposed)
What background and accomplishments make you the ideal candidate?
I have municipal experience, having served as Deputy Mayor of Baldwinsville during the last two administrations spanning over 15 years and have been a trustee since 1994. I have chaired the Public Committee and sat on the Public Safety Committee. I have helped negotiate several labor contracts have been an active part of many projects including our sidewalk program, trail development, park improvements, Paper Mill Island, and the redevelopment of our downtown business district.
Additional experience includes 21 years as Director of Beaver Lake Nature Center, volunteer roles on both local and national boards including elected as the treasurer for the National Association for Interpretation for 8 years. I am currently the President of the Rotary Club of Baldwinsville Foundation and the treasurer for the Club.
Why are you running for this position?
I feel there is a need for transition from the past to the future and my experience will facilitate this move. The Village needs to be proactive in terms of potential development and growth. At the same time, it is essential to continue to provide the services residents expect at a reasonable cost. Weighing the “nice to do against the need to do” elements is always a challenge and must be approached logically.
What are the most important issues the community is facing and what would you do about them?
There has recently developed a significant pattern of misinformation that needs to be corrected. As has been done in the past, the need to compete for outside grant funding must continue. An infrastructure review and analysis will dispel the myth that our systems have been ignored. Continued improvements to our water system will keep our system in fine working condition.
An adopted plan, whether strategic or comprehensive will be developed to guide our future.
Baldwinsville is the largest village in Onondaga County and one of the most desirable communities to call home. The anticipated growth created by the arrival of Micron to CNY must be addressed both from a growth and traffic vantage point. This represents an opportunity if we are prepared and anticipate its impact.
Baldwinsville is a walkable community by design and the village needs to strive to not only maintain that character, but to expand upon it. There is potential for further development of community trails and sidewalks.
Perhaps the biggest issue facing our village now is the determination of timing of elections. Is the village best served by merging our local elections into the November national and state elections or by continuing to have our own unique local election where the only factors and candidate are village related. I am in favor a Baldwinsville centric approach with either the traditional March timetable or moving to a more weather friendly June.
Candidates for trustee:
Joseph E. Cole, Jr.
Village Party (incumbent)
What background and accomplishments make you the ideal candidate?
I am a 22 year Army Veteran and have held many positions in the VFW since 2007. I have lived in the community since 2007 and have been involved through the VFW since then.
Why are you running for this position?
I want to continue to serve the community as I care for the future for my children and the rest of the Village.
What are the most important issues the community is facing and what would you do about them?
I think safety and services that we already provide our citizens are the most important issues for our village. I want that to remain and will fight to keep it that way.
Brian V. Burmeister
Brighter Baldwinsville Party
What background and accomplishments make you the ideal candidate?
As a Baldwinsville resident and small landlord for more than 11 years, I offer both a personal and professional perspective that will help Baldwinsville prosper while keeping the things that make it so great and so livable.
My daughter and son both graduated from Baker High School, so I understand how connected the schools are to the Village and community in general.
Currently working one-on-one with developmentally disabled individuals, I am also a podcaster (“Human Sense,” free on Spotify) with a diverse background. I worked about 30 years in corporate America negotiating vendor and health insurance contracts, in marketing, sales, communications, public relations, media relations, product management and as a corporate spokesperson.
I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Illinois Wesleyan University with minors in both History and German; I also studied Urban Planning and Architecture at Harvard University’s Gund Graduate School of Design.
All of these experiences will give me insight into and passion for new and existing Village initiatives – whether they need business guidance, an empathetic approach and/or an eye for design.
For my recommendations as a Village Trustee, I will draw from personally striving to be a better steward of earth’s resources or understanding what incentives are needed to motivate key stakeholders.
Why are you running for this position?
I’ve always been interested in helping people and leaving things better than I find them. This is true of the five houses I have owned in my lifetime, relationships I have built and the volunteering I have done over the years including for the Baldwinsville Rotary Club, the Baldwinsville Center for the Arts, Habitat for Humanity, Syracuse Vocal Ensemble, my churches and many other organizations.
After some research and partnering with my running mates Donna Freyleue and James Miller and other supporters, I’m now convinced that we can improve upon the wonderful things already going on in the Village of Baldwinsville. A thriving, up-to-date Village will be great for my neighbors, friends, children, tenants and all concerned.
What are the most important issues the community is facing and what would you do about them?
There are four main issues I see that I hope to help accomplish if elected as a Village Trustee:
I. We need to increase voter turnout by changing election of Village officers from March to November. I was dumbfounded when I saw that just 271 residents voted in the March 2022 election, with only 160 electing the Mayor; in a village with nearly 5300 registered voters, that’s turnout of about 5% and there are years in the past when turnout was much lower. Most of the nearly 300 residents who signed our petition to get a referendum to move the vote to November did NOT even know that Village officials were elected in March. According to the Onondaga County Board of Elections, other villages like Camillus, E. Syracuse and Tully who have changed their elections to November have increased the number of voters by 900% or more.
II. We need to bring more federal, state and county grant money for improvements and repairs back to the Village of Baldwinsville. We are the largest Village in the county yet have very little in grant money compared to other villages. Let’s put some of our tax dollars back to work for us!
III. We need a comprehensive community plan for tomorrow and years from now. We need buy-in from all stakeholders to complete and improve sidewalks, streetscapes, re-light the bridge, line our streets with more trees, encourage businesses to fill vacant store fronts, replace aging water and sewer lines, bury utility lines and many other endeavors.
IV. We need to more consistently enforce and update our codes and laws. By doing so, we will increase revenue, limit absentee and/or violating landlords and manage business development in the Village, just to name a few.
Megan O’Donnell
Village Party (incumbent)
What background and accomplishments make you the ideal candidate?
I have been serving on the Village Board of Trustees for 13 years and was recently appointed Deputy Mayor by Mayor Stebbins. In my time as Trustee, I have served on the Public Safety and Public Works committees. I have focused on increasing the online and social media presence of the Village, promoted the use of Paper Mill Island and Baldwin Canal Square, been involved in the redevelopment of Lock Street and the ongoing sidewalk program throughout the village. I have been involved in several project are improving our parks and trails and the revitalization of the downtown business district through several grants and outside funding. I have worked with fellow board members and department heads to develop annual budgets that are fiscally responsible to taxpayers, while allow for upgrades and improvements to village infrastructure and services.
Why are you running for this position?
There are many initiatives underway in the village that I am anxious to see to fruition. We are currently engaged with a grant writer to explore more opportunities for infrastructure improvements and working to update our community development plan. I would also like to continue to focus on increasing communication to village residents via our website, social media, and exploration of other communication tools. I have enjoyed working with fellow board members, department heads and the amazing and dedicated employees of the village and acting as a voice for the residents of Baldwinsville. I enjoy hearing from residents and working with community organizations to improve the quality of life for all our residents. I hope to be able to continue to do so for another 4 years.
What are the most important issues the community is facing and what would you do about them?
Baldwinsville is an attractive community where many people desire to live, with great schools, a mix of historic and more modern homes, and downtown and waterfront areas that offer great amenities to residents. Village residents take great pride in our community and it shows in the demand for housing in our village. However, population growth must be met with infrastructure and services that can accommodate that growth. If re-elected as a Village Trustee, I will continue to encourage the maintenance and upgrades of our water systems and roadways, see to the development of a thorough comprehensive plan for the downtown business area, thoughtfully consider appropriate housing development within the village and annexation when possible to increase the tax base in order the lessen the burden of village services on current taxpayers. I will advocate for public safety through review and updating of the Village Code and support of the community policing efforts of our police department. I will work hard for village residents to continue providing high quality services, supporting grant funding to lessen the burden on residents and creating a fiscally sustainable budget for the Village of Baldwinsville.
James Miller
Brighter Baldwinsville
What background and accomplishments make you the ideal candidate?
I have 30+ years of experience in the supply chain and logistics industry, which has honed my ability to identify redundancies and issues, improve efficiencies, and continuously improve operations. Working as a cross-functional team leader in my job, I bring together diverse groups of people focused on a common goal.
My family and I lived in communities in other states, and have seen the mistakes those communities have made. That perspective helps me understand how good we have it here and how we can avoid making similar mistakes.
Why are you running for this position?
I want to:
Lend my skills to the village I love and give back to this wonderful, welcoming community
Provide input into planned community growth that will improve village life and vibrancy
Showcase Baldwinsville as a desirable home for families, and a desirable destination for visitors
What are the most important issues the community is facing and what would you do about them?
l Lack of communication between village groups and the residents:
–Change the village elections to November to increase awareness and voter turnout
–Publish village infrastructure issues and plans for resolution
–Create events between the village board, businesses, and village organizations to work together on problem solving
l Failing infrastructure and lack of funds to remedy.
–Hire a grant writer to obtain grants to not only fix what is failing but assist in building our community
–We as taxpayers have already paid into these federal, state, and county programs and need to focus on returning that investment to improve our village at no additional cost to residents. These funds are there for the asking; we just need to file the requests.
l No long-term community plan:
–Fill the long vacant position of village engineer
–Invite businesses and residents to be part of the planning process
Michael Shepard
Village Party (incumbent)
What Background and accomplishments make you the ideal candidate?
I grew up in Baldwinsville and graduated from Baker High School in 1990. I currently live in the beautiful Baldwin Hill neighborhood. I am a Project Manager/Design Tech for Davis Ulmer Sprinkler.
I have been a trustee in the village for the last 11 years. I have 4 years’ experience as chairman of the Public Safety Committee. I am also a 14-year member of the Baldwinsville Volunteer Center where I am co-chair of the MargaritaFest Committee. My love for the village, my years of experience on the village board, combined with many years of volunteering make me an ideal candidate for trustee.
Why are you running for this position?
I am running for reelection as a trustee to continue my involvement in improving the village. My focus is public safety. I have been involved in the last 2 police contract negotiations and am very proud that the last contract was settled without arbitration, saving village tax payers thousands of dollars in legal fees. The latest police contract will add a police o4icer our ranks and increase the number of school resource o4icers in our schools. The contract will also allow our department to improve training and upgrade police equipment needed to keep our community safe. The average response time for a 911 call in the village is under 2-1/2 minutes. Our police department is in my opinion one of the best village departments in the state and I’m glad and honored to be a part of continuing that level of service for the constituents.
What are the most important issues the community is facing and what would you do about them?
I think the most important issues facing our community are housing development and traffic congestion. We all know what it’s like trying to get through the village during peak hours. Balancing community growth with our current infrastructure is a challenge the village is going to have to manage closely. I am all for growth, but it has to be the right kind of growth that compliments our village. Smart growth = The right growth.
I would also like to see updated and improved crosswalks installed at key locations in the village. With all of our beautiful walking trails it is extremely important we improve the current crosswalks for safety.
Donna Freyleue
Brighter Baldwinsville
What background and accomplishments make you the ideal candidate?
The “ideal” candidate doesn’t exist, but I am happy to discuss what makes me a good and worthy candidate to serve as Village Trustee.
I was born and raised in Baldwinsville, graduating from Baker High in 1974. I am currently serving as chairperson of the planning committee for our upcoming 50th reunion celebration in July, which we expect to be one of the best ever. Go, Bees!
I studied theatre at Harpur College of Binghamton University, and went on get my JD at the Boston University School of Law. I practiced criminal appeals in state and federal courts in Boston for over 25 years. I lived in the city for a while, and then bought a home in Ipswich, a small town north of Boston, not unlike Baldwinsville, where I raised my two sons. While there I served as a member of the vestry of Ascension Memorial Church (Episcopal) and was a longtime singer in the Ascension choir. I learned a great deal about the value of an engaged citizenry by attending town meeting on a regular basis.
In 2016, my wife, Vickie Freyleue, and I bought my family home from my sisters and we moved here. Since then, I have rediscovered what a wonderful community we have here. We have made many friends and enjoy an active community life. Village life, with its beauty, walkability, and nearby amenities, has been delightful for us. We love the restaurants, the parades and festivals, the concerts, and, of course, the beautiful Seneca River. We are so lucky to have a kayak launch just a half block from our home, and on warm days I love to ride my 1960 Schwinn Debutante around the village and along the river. I could go on for hours about how good life can be here.
I am currently serving as a member of the Village Planning Board, which has been a rewarding and educational experience for me. I understand far more about how the village actually works than I did when I joined the board two years ago. Serving on a municipal board is the best training you can get for the job of trustee. I have been a volunteer for the Visitor Center and Taste of B’ville, and I am a longtime volunteer for the American Cancer Society.
I have a sharp, inquisitive, and incisive mind, and I learn quickly. My training and experience as an appellate advocate helped me hone and refine these abilities. I am energetic, enthusiastic, creative, collaborative, and I have vision. I will bring these qualities to my service on the board, and my fellow Brighter Baldwinsville candidates will bring exceptional qualities of their own. Village government needs new perspectives, new voices. It’s time to move beyond the same old, same old and lead Baldwinsville into the 21st century.
Why are you running for this position?
I had contemplated running in the past, but my decision did not become final until I observed the current board’s response to a citizen initiative to move village elections from mid-March to Election Day in November, when everyone knows it’s time to vote. In November of 2023, a multi-partisan group of village residents presented a letter to the board requesting that they put a referendum on the upcoming ballot so that the voters could decide whether village elections should be moved to November. They responded not by discussing the merits of having this question decided by the citizenry, but by simply offering their own personal reasons why they don’t want November elections. Some of them insultingly argued that the shockingly low turnout in March elections over the last decade means that only “quality” voters are showing up to vote, while November elections would elevate “quantity” over “quality,” essentially dismissing the majority of the village electorate as some kind of ignorant rabble, unworthy of making decisions about village governance. They also argued, without any factual basis, that “national politics” would somehow rush in and corrupt our little village. Five villages in Onondaga County have already moved to November elections and the sky has not fallen in any of them. Three of the five still run on local, independent lines, including Camillus, which has had November elections for 20 some years. Villages that have switched to November elections have seen increases in turnout of up to 900%.
Because the current trustees refused to act on our request, repeatedly tabling the matter, we were forced to pass petitions in order to get our measure on the ballot. We collected 297 signatures from registered voters in the village, considerably more individuals than typically turn out to vote in March. In the meantime, the trustees unanimously decided to place their own competing measure on the ballot to move elections instead to June, something no one asked for and which only serves to confuse the issue. June elections are even worse than March. People are distracted by Regents exams, graduations, and vacations. Also, state law places village elections, which take place exclusively at the Village Hall, on the third Tuesday of the month, while primary elections take place a week later on the fourth Tuesday, at voters’ regular polling places. Two elections a week apart at two different polling places is too much.
We need a village board that listens and responds to the interests and concerns of the voters, not one that makes decisions like this based on their own personal political interests. I will be a trustee that listens.
In the answer below I will address some of the other salient issues that have prompted me to run.
What are the most important issues the community is facing and what would you do about them?
Baldwinsville is a beautiful, charming, historic village with so much going for it now, but also has a great deal of untapped potential, along with many pressing issues.
We have an antiquated water and sewer system, prone to water main breaks and sewage backups. My house has experienced one of those backups, and it is a dirty and expensive job for homeowners to deal with. Downtown businesses have been forced to close and lose business several times in recent years due to water main breaks at the Four Corners.
Business owners with whom I have spoken are also getting fed up with the heavy truck traffic constantly rumbling though the Four Corners, sometimes driving right over sidewalks, posing a hazard to pedestrians and property alike. I recently conferred with Liverpool Mayor Stacy Finney, who has already taken steps to address her community’s problems with heavy trucks. To fully address this problem will take state-level legislative action. To that end, I am contacting officials in Saratoga Springs and Skaneateles, two Upstate NY communities that are currently working on the truck problem, as a beginning step in creating a coalition of villages and smaller cities across the state that are feeling overwhelmed by heavy trucks in their business districts. I will also be working with state Senators Rachel May and John Mannion on this matter.
We have a lovely downtown with many fine restaurants, but we have precious few retail shops and several empty storefronts. We need to develop a strategy to attract new and varied retail businesses to fill these empty storefronts and continue the revitalization of our downtown, a great but underused asset. Walkability and pedestrian safety, including making it easier, safer, and faster for pedestrians to navigate the Four Corners so that patrons of our local business, as well as people just passing through, have a consistently pleasurable downtown experience, will be a priority for me.
Baldwinsville needs stricter and more consistent code enforcement, particularly against the negligent and/or absentee landlords who own much of the substandard properties we see in many parts of the village. I would also like to see lower speed limits posted on side streets. 30 mph is too fast for a quiet, one-block street, especially if there are children present.
Some of these issues will require obtaining state and federal grant money, and I will do all I can to aggressively pursue these monies for the needs of our community. Other villages have done much more to go after these funds. For example, the Village of Phoenix, less than a third the size of Baldwinsville, has had a grant writer on retainer for 15 years, and that village currently has more than five million dollars in grant money on hand to be allocated toward village improvements. We have nothing close to that. We can and will do better.
This is just a sampling of the issues we face as a vital, growing community. I am looking forward to doing my part to create a better, Brighter Baldwinsville!
