Two seek election to Ogden supervisor seat

Republican Incumbent Supervisor Gay Lenhard and Democrat Garry Cranker are both seeking election to the Town of Ogden supervisor seat in the November election.

Garry Cranker, who ran in 2003, said he is seeking the supervisor position because he is "dissatisfied with the current town government" and believes he is the person who can make the necessary changes the town needs. He said when he ran previously, he received 33 percent of the vote.

Cranker said one of the biggest issues facing Ogden is the continued development without an open space plan in place.

"As a member of the Open Space Committee, I am committed to working with Behan Planners to accomplish this, but it is not going to happen overnight," he said. "Saving our farmlands and wetlands is a critical issue in Ogden. Development is currently getting out of control which leads me to the next issue in our town and that is the drainage problems the residents have to deal with."

He said there is a tremendous amount of dissatisfaction with the way drainage problems are being handled. "Until these issues are addressed, I would put a temporary freeze on development. If things remain the way they are now, we will no longer have a rural town," he said.

One of the greatest assets he would bring to the position of supervisor, Cranker said, is his honesty. "I am proud of the fact that I have earned the trust and respect of my community and many of its leaders," he said. "In my past profession (employee assistance professional) of working with people who were in very vulnerable situations, I never led them to believe that I would help them if I was not able to do so. If I do not have an answer or solution to a problem, I know where and when to look for assistance."

The position of supervisor, he said, is to lead and he feels that a leader cannot be effective if they do not have a team of people beside them. He also deals with multi-million dollar budgets and allocations through his position on the board of directors for United Way of Greater Rochester.

Cranker and his wife, Annette, a nurse at Park Ridge dialysis, have two grown sons, Thomas and William.

"I will always make myself available to constituents, regardless of party affiliation, or where their home is located in the town," he said. "I will lead this town, remembering that I am elected to serve and that our new government will be one of inclusiveness."

Gay Lenhard said she is looking to retain her supervisor seat because, "I really love my job and I love the opportunity to assist residents, problem solve with them and interact with the staff." She said she is also interested in continuing the projects that have begun under her eight year tenure.

Lenhard said she has been working for the town for 23 years and has been an active community member all her adult life. "My skills include experience in the town's budget process, personnel management and knowledge of what services our residents say they desire," she said. "I also have excellent relationships with our schools, service organizations and the surrounding community."

Collaboration and cooperation with other municipalities, she said, help save taxpayer dollars.

The issues facing Ogden, Lenhard said, are the same that are facing all communities. "We need to keep the tax rate stable and continue making Ogden affordable for the taxpayers. That's a challenge this year as it has been every year to hold down expenses while continuing to provide services," she said.

The other issue facing Ogden is the need to manage growth within the community. "We are one of the fastest growing communities in the county and with that comes the demand for more services and increased costs," she said. "The contiguous issue with that is the challenge to keep the community's rural character."

During her tenure, Lenhard said, she has been able to keep a stable tax rate for residents, has secured hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant money in the past few years and has brought public water to more areas of Ogden. She has also been involved in various projects throughout the town including the development of a master plan and a committee dedicated to studying and preserving the town's open spaces.

Lenhard and her husband, Don, have two daughters, Kristy Farrand and Robbie Dewey, and four grandchildren.

"I grew up here and am still very excited about working for the residents of the community," she said. "I feel an ownership in the progress of what happens here and I like knowing I am making a positive difference in the quality of life for the constituents."

The salary of the supervisor in the Town of Ogden is $75,300 and the term is two years.

October 9, 2005