Pledge to work for Fredonia voters

Editor, OBSERVER:

This is my campaign promise to the voters of Fredonia when I become a village trustee in Fredonia for a four-year term.

I promise to try to be everyone’s trustee, not a political party’s trustee. I promise to work to return decorum to the meetings. I promise to work with other surrounding communities for the good of all communities. I want to work toward consolidation of services and manpower for the mutual benefit to all communities and to create a working relationship with other municipalities that is missing now.

I want to hear what residents have to say about any and all business and the idea of limiting a person to three minutes to voice their concerns at a meeting shows a lack of respect for the public’s view and the arrogance of those scold those who disagree with those elected officials at a board meeting for more than 20 minutes is not why they were elected. There has to be rules governing meetings but to refuse to allow citizens, taxpayers and voters to state their opinions on issues that concern the village is not what government should be about. If the elected officials do not have the time to listen to opinions, concerns and objections to village business, they should resign so they have more time to do whatever it is they have to do.

I promise to uphold village laws and charter and the laws that govern the county, state and nation. I will work to make sure that all village employees do the same. I will work to better the understanding between the employees and Village Board and their supervisors and to make sure that all employees are treated with the respect and dignity that is due them.

One of the big issues facing the village lately has been the position of administrator. My belief of village government is that elected officials do not have the time or expertise to do all of the jobs that it takes to run a village the size of Fredonia efficiently and effectively. I believe that we need someone who is trained in human resources and someone who has an accounting background and if we can find someone who fits both bills in one, all the better. We also need a village clerk and I do not believe one person should be doing all of those jobs.

I am sure there is a person in our area who can guide the board in financial matters and someone who can help keep up with human resources legal matters. Before anyone is hired to do these jobs, they should know what their job description is and the board’s expectations of them and the limitations that will be placed on them.

It is the board’s job to hire the most qualified employees available at a reasonable cost and to make sure that every employee knows what their job description is and what is expected of them. It is the department head’s job to be sure that the employees live up to those expectations. If you feel that I can make a difference, I humbly ask for your vote.

Please get out and vote for the candidate of your choice on Nov. 5 or consider early voting at the Chautauqua County Fairgrounds, the Board of Elections in Mayville, or the Chautauqua Mall in Lakewood through Nov. 3

DALE RICKER,

Fredonia

Improvements seen with village mayor

Editor, OBSERVER:

As residents of Fredonia we support Mayor Athanasia Landis for re-election. She has been an effective and results-driven mayor for the village. During her tenure transparency has returned to village government. All meetings are on TV and also on YouTube and the meeting agendas and minutes are posted on the village website. She openly discusses her plans on popular media and it is easy to meet with her to discuss whatever is on your mind.

Mayor Landis has been very successful with procuring grants for the village ($7 million to date). The village’s water issues, which have existed for many years, are finally being dealt with. The drinking water quality problems that plagued many parts of the village have been addressed and there have been major upgrades to the sewage treatment plant, which protects our groundwater and Lake Erie. We have observed that more capable and knowledgeable people are now involved in the various village departments than in the past. All of these are major improvements over previous administrations. In addition, all of this was accomplished without raising taxes.

Downtown improvements have begun in Barker Commons, downtown and to the Opera House. The mayor has partnered the village with the private sector to attract new businesses, which have arrived with quite a few new businesses downtown. These improvements take time, which is why another term will allow the full potential of the mayor’s efforts to become obvious.

The mayor is a strong and effective leader, which is what is needed in Fredonia. The Mayor listens to suggestions for the village and to constructive criticism. However, some sectors in village government are interested in obstruction — this is why an effective leader is important.

JON and PRISCILLA TITUS,

Fredonia

Repairs matter as much as looks

Editor, OBSERVER

I live on Seel Street. The road was worked on, halted last fall.

The house across the street from me belongs to an elderly lady. Her lawn was dug up in the fall and left that way. Her sidewalk was torn up and tossed in the lawn. An orange plastic fence was put around the mess, for the winter.

The turn to Seel Street was also dug up and covered and left. Then they put blacktop from there leaving the first part. It snowed two days later. I know there were water lines to be put in so they were started. Her lawn was a muddy pond.

When summer started a gentlemen came up and did what he could to have it look somewhat decent, and he kept coming back. We had entertainment taken care of all summer however. The mayor is taking credit for grants for fixing up the parks and a grant for the water lines, but why can’t they be finished. We had “pretty” signs put up on the light posts all the way up Central Avenue.

Where are the priorities and who decides that? Today they are digging in her lawn again. All the lawns up Seel have been dug into and there they are.

Everything this past couple years has been the pier and looking good for entertainment. Look at some of the streets. You stand on the pier and turn around and look up Central and it looks like a bomb dropped. We need to fix what’s broken.

SUE EATON,

Dunkirk