Seneca Falls First

We must reduce the cost of services.
The first step in accomplishing this goal is to engage our municipal workers in the process. We must build momentum for more affordable services from the bottom up in order to succeed. This will require open communication with residents and employees. Village employees are crucial partners in any effort to make services more affordable. It is essential that their expertise and ideas be sought and they be made active partners in the discussion and decisions about our Village’s future.

Open government must be second nature, not second choice.

Village government must do a better job being open, accessible, and responsive to the public. There is very little information a municipality cannot legally, openly share with its residents. Confidence in our village government can only increase when information is easy to access and cheerfully shared.

Ethical standards should reflect a high level of confidence in public officials and employees.

The current administration is proposing changes to relax the standards in the Village Code of Ethics for officers and employees. The existing Seneca Falls Code of Ethics does not allow acceptance of gifts of any value, even though the State allows acceptance of gifts up to $75 in value. I believe the public deserves higher standards.

Revitalization of our commercial districts...

...requires more than decorative paving and bike racks. Downtowns flourish when people make them their home. Their presence is an incentive for commercial enterprise to follow. Working to support the vitality of our existing businesses is central to our community’s growth.

We cannot afford to wait...

...for economic spinoff from projects still on the drawing board before pushing for progress in enticing new businesses to Seneca Falls, both downtown and in our industrial park. The competition for new business is fierce, but Seneca Falls can succeed. It will take determined leadership and the ability to promote Seneca Falls as the best place to be!

Our plans must be clear.

We are facing the need to repair or replace aging infrastructure and equipment. Drainage projects are progressing, but this is a long-term, costly concern. Grants have helped fund these efforts, and we must continue to seek such assistance whenever possible. In the past, a 5 Year Capital Plan was adopted by the Board for infrastructure and equipment concerns, but that process fell by the wayside. Local governments under pressure to provide services more efficiently must have clearly defined plans for long-term needs. With clear plans we can meet future needs as they arise.