Holley sees contested village trustee elections

Five Holley residents will be seeking election to three available trustee seats in the March 15 election. Incumbents John Kenney and Ronald Vendetti along with Thomas O'Neill who ran for mayor in 2004, will be vying for two available two-year trustee positions. Incumbent Kevin Bedard and former trustee Ross Gaylord will be running for the one available one-year trustee seat.

Kevin Bedard was appointed to fill a trustee seat last fall and is running for the seat in this election. He served previously on the board in the early 1990s.

"We have a good, cohesive board that uses a lot of common sense to get the work done," he said. "We work well together and have accomplished a lot of positive things for the village."

Some of the work that was started in the early 1990s is now coming to fruition, Bedard said, such as the upgrading of the sewer and water pipes and receiving of grants for work on park development projects.

As for the future, Bedard said, "We have to continue to pursue development for the village, keep taxes low and continue working on the beautification projects."

One of the big challenges facing the village is moving the project forward with the development of the old high school.

"Seeing something done with that building has been a long time coming," he said.

Bedard said there is the possibility of an ethanol plant locating in the village's industrial park but it is a project that is only in the talking stages at this point.

"We have to investigate and learn everything about this project and see what it's all about before any decisions are made," he said. "If our community is selected, the board will have to weigh all options to see what kind of an impact it would have on the community and the tax base."

Pledging to be open and honest with the residents, Bedard said the lines of communication between taxpayers and board members have to always remain open.

"I feel confident that any decision I make relating to the village issues is in the best interest of the community," he said. "I am open to the public and am willing to share any information that I have with them."

Bedard and his wife, Denise, are both high school teachers. He has lived in the village for the past 25 years.

Ross Gaylord, who served as a trustee from 1988 to 1994, said he attends about 90 percent of the board meetings.

"Ever since I got off the board, I am still there at the meetings," he said. "I'm interested in what goes on in the village and I've been active in the community."

If elected, Gaylord said he wants to find ways to reduce taxes, possibly by consolidation of services, and to keep working to attract businesses to the area. Gaylord has also been a member of the planning board for the past seven years.

"I'd like to see more business up in the industrial park as long as they are compatible with the village," he said. "Building the tax base would be a way to reduce taxes."

He hopes voters in the village get out and exercise their right to vote.

"It's important to voice your opinion and show interest in those who are running," he said.

Gaylord was born and raised in the Town of Murray and has been a Holley resident since 1945. He has two sons and has grandchildren who live in Michigan.

John Kenney will be seeking his second term on the board this year. He said he wants to make sure there is an open channel of communication between board members and the community.

"I'm happy to have been on the board while we were working on the Village Square project," he said. "With the gains and improvements we're making here, there is a lot of positive energy in the village."

Kenney said the fact that an outside developer is looking at the long vacant high school with an eye toward turning it into a housing complex for senior citizens is a step in the right direction.

"The first phase with an environmental study has been completed and we're now onto the second phase," he said. "We're all hopeful that development becomes reality."

He hopes his record, attendance and attitude will earn him a second term on the board. "I hope people will continue to put their trust in me and see that I have earned it," he said.

Kenney has lived in Holley since 1964. He and his wife, Wendy, have two grown children, Michael and Elizabeth.

Thomas O'Neill, who had an unsuccessful attempt at the mayoral race last year, has tossed his hat into the ring for a trustee position.

"As I said last year, I want to be part of the decision making process in the village and I want to be on top of and involved in the issues," he said. "The village needs to concentrate on priority spending and keeping taxes level and I'd like to be directly involved."

O'Neill said he was "all for" the merger that the village and Town of Murray attempted with the proposed construction of a joint municipal building but said it would be better for the joint office to be within the village limits rather than in the industrial park.

"The board needs to make sure the taxpayer's money goes where it's really needed," he said. "This village needs sidewalks repaired. They've been in a state of disrepair for many years and that should be made a priority."

His 43 years working for the State of New York, O'Neill said, would stand him in good stead on the board. "I believe in spirited debate between board members on topics that concern the residents," he said. "I like to get out and talk to people and hear their concerns and I'd like to be part of the board so I can help address those concerns."

While O'Neill hopes the voters will support him on election day, he said it's more important to get out and cast a vote. "People need to come out and show support for those running for office," he said.

He has been a village resident since 1980 and lives with his sister. He has a brother who lives in Florida.

Ronald Vendetti is seeking his third term as a trustee.

"The challenge of trying to make the community a better place to live and trying to improve the tax base is what keeps me coming back," he said.

Vendetti also said his experience in the areas of community development have helped him succeed as a trustee.

"Because of my background I've been able to personally take charge of projects and be a part of the process in dealing with the infrastructure work the village has been involved in," he said.

There's nothing "flashy" looming in the future for Holley, Vendetti said. "We're just doing what we can to make the village be more attractive to outside business and improving our infrastructure," he said. "We also need to identify other cost saving measures so we can make the tax rate more attractive."

Broadening the tax base while allowing the village to keep its local, small community atmosphere is another challenge, Vendetti said.

A resident of the Holley area his whole life, Vendetti said he strives to be professional in the way he conducts village business. He said he is also responsible for writing a successful grant for the village which allowed them to make sidewalk improvements.

Also on the March 15 ballot will be a proposition for voters to voice their opinion on extending term limits for the mayor and trustee positions from two to four years.