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General News: Trustee Candidates Speak at Forum
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| The five candidates for village trustee spoke at the forum on Saturday morning. |
March 11, 2009
The five candidates running for two open seats on the Cornwall-on-Hudson board of trustees addressed the public in a forum on Saturday morning in which they laid out their positions on issues from the master plan to consolidation with the town.
The candidates, Andrew Argenio, Mark Edsall, James Kane, Maryanne Rose O’Dell and Doug Vatter, differed on their approaches to some issues but more often agreed with one another about the difficulties of cutting services or the need for a master plan to serve as a blue print for the village’s future.
Andrew Argenio introduced himself as a person with a background in construction and experience in recycling waste material that could be put to work for the benefit of the village. Mark Edsall, the incumbent who is running for a sixth term in office, reminded the audience that he has three decades of experience as a municipal engineer and, in 2006, helped put the village on a program to pay down the debt.
James Kane introduced himself as a relative newcomer who has come to love the village and who wants to draw on his experience as a lawyer investigating fraud, waste and abuse in state agencies to oversee the budget and make smart decisions about the village’s finances. Maryanne Rose O’Dell spoke of a life of volunteerism, including her role as president of the Cornwall Historical Society, and of what she has learned about government as an aide to state assemblywoman Nancy Calhoun.
Douglas Vatter, a businessman who started his own business and managed dozens of employees, said he would allow department heads to be independent but accountable for their actions and look for a way to re-finance the village’s debt.
Four of the candidates agreed that while some items needed to be studied closely, the village board should get busy moving forward the comprehensive master plan by sending it to the planning and zoning boards for review. Andrew Argenio said that he has a lot of questions about many parts of the master plan and said he was concerned that is would be viewed as a legally-enforceable document rather than a blueprint for new zoning codes.
All five candidates spoke out clearly against consolidation of the town and village, especially the police departments, but said the tradition of sharing equipment and services should be strengthened to save money.
The five candidates described their visions for the village business district. James Kane said he favors the growth of small businesses and would like to see a unified look in facades, along with mixed-use commercial/resident projects. He’d also like to see a recreational attraction added to the riverfront.
Maryanne Rose O’Dell said we should share Donahue Memorial Park with our neighbors, install a bio-degradable toilet and re-design the parking area to accommodate more people. She also welcomed people coming to the village center, where she said there is not a parking shortage as long as people were willing to walk a bit.
Doug Vatter challenged the notion that spending money at restaurants and small businesses translates into tax revenue for the village. He said sales taxes are sent to the county, which then re-allocates it. He said the only way to get more money for the village is through more rateables, which would result in more building and more “clutter” that would have to be dealt with and that could adversely impact the village ambience.
Mark Edsall said that if the restaurants and small businesses don’t generate revenue for the village, they do provide a convenience for residents and can attract visitors who can help these businesses survive. He also said he favors the creation of a architectural review board to control the look of any new businesses in the village.
Andrew Argenio questioned the value of small businesses and the idea of offering tax incentives to businesses to locate in the village, saying it takes away income for the village. He said that new businesses like Storm King Adventure Tours are nice‘window dressing” that don’t bring in money to help run the village.
Tackling the village budget and deciding how, or if, to cut services, provoked thoughtful answers from the candidates. Andrew Argenio returned to his ideas about saving money through recycling and innovative use of resources. He also said that he would oppose cuts to fire and police. Mark Edsall, who currently sits on the board, said that the village had paid down a substantial portion of its multi-million dollar debt and can see the day when money now going for debt payment can be used to pay for other services.
Maryanne O’Dell Rose observed that if people want services from government, they will have to pay for it. Debt service, efficiencies, and grant writing are important, Rose O’Dell said, but she emphasized the point that every benefit has its costs and suggested that village residents could save money if they became more self-reliant rather than looking for government help.
James Kane agreed that paying down the debt should be the village’s focus and said it should try to make an extra payment to reduce the debt load more quickly. Like the other candidates, Kane said he would look for efficiencies in the operation of village departments but that with fixed increases for salaries and benefits, significant savings would be hard to find.
Doug Vatter, who earlier told the audience that he was known as being “extraordinarily cheap” said he would apply business management techniques to the operation of the village. That means getting all the department heads in a room, he said, telling them what cuts need to be made, then let them make their case. He said that without cutting services and employees, village residents should expect taxes to go up 1.8 to 1.9 percent a year.
All the candidates agreed the view preservation law is ambiguous and in need of review. They also said that if developments in Cornwall are impacting village life, residents should speak out at town meetings, where they all have a voice.
By the end of the 90-minute forum, which was sponsored by News from Cornwall and Cornwall-on-Hudson, audience members had a good sense of what they could expect from each of the candidates if they are elected to a trustee position in the election on March 18.
You can read what the candidates have to say in their own words by clicking on Candidates Statements on this website.
Comments:
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"new businesses ...are nice?window dressing? that don?t bring in money to help run the village." Andrew! C'mon! A variety of businesses brings people to the village and when they are done with their activity they explore and patronize other businesses, or perhaps they discover the hidden gem, the gift shop or the museum, or the restaurant, and then they come back. It is foolish to think that the village will revert to the self contained commerce center of yesteryear; we need the traffic that unique and quality services bring in. It may not put cash into the village coffers directly but it helps the village thrive and grow as a place where people want to go.
posted by Kate Benson on 03/12/09 at 12:10 AM
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Andrew Argenio has never even visited Storm King Adventure Tours. Does he know that we are entering our third year of business? Does he know that we have led over 900 people on kayak tours? Does he know that the majority of them then visit other local establishments, and come back many times because they've enjoyed their time in Cornwall-on-Hudson so much? Does he know that I've dedicated my life to this business and receive no salary? All he wants to do is use his recycling business to make money from the village. I'm voting for Jim Kane, Mark Edsall and Peter Neuman for intelligence, experience and change....just for the record.
posted by Kris Seiz on 03/12/09 at 12:37 PM
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Kris, I have worn and wornout my SKAT ball cap. I have bought several books, as well. I like SKAT but the fact remains that you do not pay property taxes to the Village. Furthermore the recycling would be by and for the village through grants I've discussed with the DEC, to get recycling equipment to save the village much needed money and create new revenue streams. We all want to be part of a thriving community, and successful business is a critial component. The only points I was addressing are 1. the inequity of some buildings being given special consideration (ie. tax deferments) and 2. it is the responsibility of the board to manage the "village coffers." If not the board, then who? To correct you I do not own any recycling buiness. I sold it. I am running a recycling operation in the port of Coymans near Albany). I treasure the beauty of the river in much the same way you do, just in my own kayak with my family. That you help others enjoy this is to your credit. Do you know, however, that I have dedicated my professional life to recycling because it makes for a better community and a better planet? Perhaps you should attend the forum that you so quickly (and incorrectly) commented on. This is the perfect example of mudslinging. Thank god that I can comment back.
posted by Andrew Argenio on 03/12/09 at 8:01 PM
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