by Kristina Gabalski
Andrew FowlerTwo incumbents and a newcomer are vying for two seats on the Hilton Village Board. Walter Horylev and Jim Gates are running for re-election and 19-year old Andrew Fowler is a first-time candidate.
Walter Horylev has lived in the village for more than 50 years and served as village trustee for over 20 years – the past 11 as vice-mayor.
“As a member of the village board team I have helped to keep village taxes low and quality of services high,” Horylev says. “We have the lowest taxes, for the services provided, of the 10 villages in Monroe County. We have an excellent highway department and staff and we spend an appropriate amount of money to train and compensate them.”
Jim GatesHe says he loves the village and works hard to do what is right for the community. “I have the experience and energy to continue to improve our way of life,” he says.
His accomplishments include the plan to resurrect Old Hojack Lane. “A group had looked into this and the file was stored away for several years. I got interested in it and with then Administrator Jim Ingham’s help, came up with a plan to build the roadway by putting $50,000 a year into a capital reserve fund and spending it every year for infrastructure construction. We completed the roadway and storm sewer to School Lane without floating any bonds. By extending this road to Collamer Road, we have opened up the northwest quadrant of the village and kept many school buses off West Avenue.”
Horylev also says he worked to keep the old Ben Franklin open, negotiating with the owner and convincing the village board to buy the building. The business eventually was forced to close. “Currently the Fitness Warehouse is enjoying much success in this location and the owners are interested in buying the building,” he says and adds he also feels good about convincing the village board – after consulting with the Village of Spencerport on their rates – to raise the sewer connection rate for out-of-the village residents from $500 to $1,500.
Walter Horylev“This is still a reasonable rate since it results in a significant increase in the value of a home located on a sanitary sewer, (and) rewards the village residents for access to their sewers, since the money is put into the village sewer fund for repairs, maintenance and construction.”
The need to keep the tax rate low in spite of double digit increases in health insurance and retirement fund requirements is an important issue facing the village, Horylev says. He would also like more activities provided for children. Horylev says Hilton/Parma Recreation does a great job providing programs, but even more young adults need to be reached.
“I believe we should be doing more to enhance the Central Business District, the heart of our community, to convey a better image of who we are and promote the local business climate,” he adds.
Horylev says his favorite thing about the village is its people. “It truly is a small village with a big heart.”
He notes that if he is re-elected, he would like to assist the village to attain an even higher state of development. “I support a plan for the timing of capital expenditures in a five year look ahead so as to keep expenses commensurate with income,” Horylev says. “I support continuing to work closely with the Town of Parma and the school district, as we are doing with the new salt shed project, so as to consolidate services and efforts on future projects. I also favor the updating of our Master Plan.”
Incumbent Jim Gates has served on the village board for 16 years. He is a lifelong resident of Hilton as well as a lifelong member of the Hilton Fire Department including serving as a past fire chief.
Gates and his wife, Jane, have three adult children: Jeff, Jenny and Julie. He is retired after working 38 years for the Hilton Central School District.
“I am part of a team and there are many things that I am proud of,” Gates says of his accomplishments as a trustee, “such as the creation of Old Hojack Lane, which helped to take buses off of small village streets; Jennejahn Lodge which can be used by the entire community; working with the Hilton Parma Fire District to build the new fire hall; Unionville Station, where seniors have a nice place to live and it puts no burden on the school district; and the creation of our Municipal Gas and Electric program. The newest joint effort that I am working on with the Town of Parma, school district and fire district is to build a salt shed that will be shared by all. It will be good for taxpayers and the environment.”
Gates says he feels his experience in preparing the annual village budget, monitoring village expenditures and keeping the tax rate under control is a great asset to the board.
“If I am re-elected, my knowledge with the budget will help the board understand and stay with the governor’s two percent tax cap legislation,” he says.
Controlling the tax rate while costs continue to rise is the most important issue facing the village, Gates explains. “We have no control over expenses such as gasoline, the price of equipment, etc. It’s very important to me that we continue to provide a high standard of service to our community so I will work to find ways to do more with less,” he says.
Gates says he likes living in Hilton because it is such a close-knit community. “People know their neighbors and are always willing to help each other out.”
Newcomer Andrew Fowler is a graduate of Hilton High School and currently a sophomore at The College at Brockport where he is majoring in history.
He says he decided to run for a spot on the village board because he has always found the democratic process interesting.
“Both of my parents are heavily involved in local politics,” he says. His dad, Steve, is the Hilton/Parma Recreation Director and his mom, Linda, is the recreation director for the Town of Gates.
In addition to his studies, Fowler works part-time at Sears and for the Town of Parma Recreation Department.
He notes that he has leadership and organizational experience. “As a high school sophomore, I set up and successfully ran the Hilton Cadet Athletic Fan Club (known as the Cadet Crew).” The club consisted of 1,000 members and “was a school-wide community-based club. The school district let me take off and make it my own. It sparked my interest in leadership,” Fowler explains, “and fired a passion for this community.”
Fowler is in his seventh year with the Hilton Varsity Baseball team, currently serving as a volunteer assistant coach.
“I’m always in the community,” he says, “I’m guaranteed to be around and accessible, which is key for a political figure. It’s important for a politician to be seen and readily available.”
Fowler says that Hilton is a strong-knit community and “everybody brags about the very low taxes,” but he notes there is room for improvement.
He says the village should have long-range five-and ten-year plans and should work to “make Hilton a destination. There are empty store fronts. The community should come together and decide what it wants to bring to the village.”
He also stresses the importance of community events like Hilton Apple Fest. “Village events are few and far between,” he says. “We need more community-based events.”
He is also concerned that the regular village board meetings, which take place one Tuesday each month at 5 p.m., “are very inconvenient for a lot of people.”
Fowler notes he is running on the Family Values party line. “I put a lot of thought into the party line,” Fowler says. “I feel fortunate and blessed to have the family I have. We need to make the community family-like.”
He says he loves the very close relationship between the village and the school district. “There’s nothing greater than going to a Hilton football game on Friday night.” Fowler says he hopes that relationship can remain healthy.
Voting takes place Tuesday, March 20 from noon to 9 p.m. at the Hilton Community Center, 59 Henry Street.
