Although Sweden has two hotly contested town board seat races in the November 6 election, Supervisor Buddy Lester, Clerk Gail DeToy and Justice William Cody are running unopposed.

Lester, a Republican, is seeking a third two-year term because he has "lots of unfinished business."

One of Lester’s biggest interests is recreation. To that end, he has been working to develop the new town park. Acquired for only a dollar from the state a few years ago, the 156-acre park has long been the home of the Brockport Junior Baseball League. With the town’s backing, it will become the site of many other types of recreation. A Boy Scout Eagle candidate has recently laid a hiking trail, Lester said, and the town highway department has begun construction of a skate park. Soccer fields, a BMX track, picnic facilities, volleyball courts and more are planned for the future. The town bonded a million dollars earlier this year to finance the beginning development. The town is also busy seeking grants and partnerships to further the plans. "The response I’ve had from residents to the park has been overwhelmingly positive," Lester said. "This is what the people want."

Lester said he enjoys making the tough decisions that face the town. He points to the recently completed townwide reassessment that he tackled shortly after becoming supervisor. "There was some opposition to it," he said, "but it was the right thing to do." He says he enjoys working with the current town board and said he is proud of them because "they don’t test the political waters before they make a decision. They do what’s right." An example is the proposed budget that calls for a seven percent tax rate increase, the largest since 1995. "It’s an election year and it’s hard to seek an increase, but we knew it was necessary," he said.

Lester feels there are many important issues that face the town: how to recruit businesses that fit into the character of the community; how to alleviate traffic congestion without hindering the business district; steering development into areas where utilities are present; and providing the maximum services for the best dollars.

"I enjoy the job," Lester said, "and I especially enjoy facing tough issues and making the decision that’s best for the town."

Gail DeToy, a Republican, was appointed to the town clerk’s office in 1994; this is her third election campaign. She said she has accomplished several goals during her tenure: the computerization of the town clerk’s office; the restoration and preservation of records; and interior renovations of the town hall.

She still has a few projects in mind for her next term. She’s in the process of establishing a website for the town. She’s also interested in computerizing the archieval records of the town – the inactive files that are currently stored in the town hall basement. Mostly she would like to continue to serve the public and improve access to town government.

"I enjoy serving the town residents," she said. "I’ve never had a day that I didn’t want to come to work because I didn’t like the job. I do like it. It’s certainly never dull."

Republican William Cody was appointed to a justice seat earlier this year. He will stand for election for the first time on November 6. Cody has a local law practice in Brockport.