Members of the Blue Collar Brockport party say they are ready to roll up their sleeves and get to work for the people of the village.
Former village trustee Carol Hannan is running for mayor and Kevin McCarthy and Kris Bonczyk are running for two open trustee seats on the village board.
“We are sincere about doing this job right,” says McCarthy, who worked for Kodak for 36 years and now calls himself a “jack of all trades” – working carpentry, plumbing and electrical jobs. “We give a darn about this village,” he says.
The three challengers say they can offer Brockport what currently is missing on the village board. Their list of priorities include completing a new comprehensive plan, enforcing building codes, quality of life measures, maintaining family home values, lowering taxes, setting five-year priority goals with the help of the community, improving and increasing economic development initiatives and renegotiating labor contracts.
Carol Hannan formerly served more than four years as a village trustee, has rehabbed and sold to families four historic homes in the village, and is a recipient of the Monika Andrews Creative Volunteer Leadership Award. She is a Brockport native.
Kevin McCarthy serves as Planning Board vice chair, chairs the Historic Preservation Board, is a member of the Village’s Tax Relief Tax Force and Town/Gown Committee and has been a village resident for 19 years.
Kris Bonczyk is a member of the Village Ethics Board and Tax Relief Tax Force, is a Marine Corps Veteran and his work experience includes health insurance sales at Paychex, public and private sector accounting, and auditor experience. He has lived in the village for 19 years.
The Blue Collar candidates emphasize they all come from working-class backgrounds and will work to make the village an affordable and attractive location for families to live and raise their children.
Bonczyk says village leaders must be pro-resident. “We almost didn’t buy a home in the village,” he says of his family, because of the high tax rate. He says he would bring a fresh perspective to the board as he has two young children in Brockport schools. Additionally, Bonczyk notes he has the financial experience to “crunch the numbers,” regarding village finances.
Many residents are concerned about what is not getting done, the three say, “we will tackle the difficult issues first and foremost,” they say.
A comprehensive plan is vital, they explain. “It’s where you start, it’s a roadmap that sets priorities,” Carol Hannan explains.
They say families want to take pride in where they live and feel safe when they walk the village.
“I like murals,” Hannan says, “but we have broken sidewalks and potholes. The Blue Collar candidates say a boathouse for competitive rowing is a neat idea, but should not be a priority. “It won’t appeal to many people in Brockport,” they say.
Hannan, McCarthy and Bonczyk say they hope to facilitate more single-family homes in the village through the re-establishment of a private “Main Street LLC” – similar to what the Village of Perry in Wyoming County utilizes. An LLC could acquire properties when they go up for sale and encourage family ownership and well-maintained rentals, Hannan says.
Additionally, a housing re-habilitation fund could be set up through donations administered by a non-profit organization. Grant money is available for low income, senior and single family homeowners for exterior home maintenance, Blue Collar Brockport candidates say.
Hannan says tax incentives could be made available for the construction of new single family homes as well as for conversions from multi-family to single family. She would like to see an overlay residential zone on the South Avenue Extension to encourage development of vacant areas.
Labor contracts are another big issue Hannan, McCarthy and Bonczyk say they would like to tackle.
“The contracts (DPW/Brockport Police Department) are a failure, a train wreck,” the three say. “They are not sustainable, things have to change. We’re not begrudging them their salaries, but the contracts are too rich (regarding benefits – health care, in particular).”
Blue Collar candidates would like to see union employees contribute their fair share to health care costs. They say village health care costs have increased to over one million dollars annually and that multiple contract provisions must be re-negotiated when the current agreements end.
“We will stand by code enforcement,” Hannan says of quality of life issues and nuisance properties. “We will give them all the assistance they need to help solve their problems and do what needs to be done.”
She says she would consider points and penalties, as well as imposing fees and penalties for housing violations as East Rochester has done, to avoid legal actions.
Town/gown relations are also important. “We need to work better with the college,” Kris Bonczyk notes, “we have the resources of the college right here in the village.”
