Political newcomer throws
hat into Brockport's election ring

Maria (Connie) Castaneda, a village resident for the past four years, has decided it's time to become more involved in her village and as such, is seeking election to one of the open trustee seats on the Brockport village board.

Castaneda will be running under the Truth and Unity Party and feels the name of her party sums up her platform.

"If elected, one of the things I would work toward achieving is to make sure residents are told the truth when answering questions," she said. "I also feel it's important to reach out to the forgotten factions of the community and build bridges between all groups."

Castaneda also said village officials need to control tax rates and work "cooperatively and prudently" on future spending plans.

"We need to work toward rebuilding the village's infrastructure including roads, sidewalks and water systems," she said.

Redirecting resources to improve roads and sidewalks in addition to re-staffing the Department of Public Works are items she feels are important. She feels the addition of a clerk to the code enforcement office and the creation of a village administrator are unnecessary burdens on taxpayers.

"I also don't feel the village needs to pay an engineer to develop a plan to maintain streets and infrastructure," she said. "We have an experienced DPW crew that could tell us what needs to be done to maintain our infrastructure."

Saying she holds no allegiance to any political party, Castaneda said if elected she will voice the opinion of the people.

"I think the only way to make a difference in the community is to become more involved in the decision making process," she said.

Reaching out to the village's active volunteer community is another item on Castaneda's agenda.

"I'd like to establish community advisory groups as a way to establish positive communication," she said. "Reinstituting community open forums without the formality of a board meeting should also be looked into."

Castaneda and her husband, Ben, have two sons, Benjamin and Michael. Her parents, Rosario and Adam Rangel, are also village residents. She is a graduate of Brockport High School, holds a master's degree in education and has worked in the Rochester City School District for the past 14 years.

"I consider myself an out of the box progressive thinker," she said. "I have a lot of ideas for the village and they involve reaching out to the community."

Also on the ballot this year in Brockport's elections are: Mayor Josephine Matela who is seeking reelection; Trustees Mort Wexler and Norman Knapp and resident Glenn Emerson are seeking election to the mayoral seat. Seeking trustee seats in addition to Castaneda are: Laura Emerson, David Wagenhauser, incumbent Jim Whipple and Scott Hunsinger.