Two seats up for grabs in Sweden

Republican endorsed incumbent candidates Rob Carges and Danielle Windus-Cook are vying to retain their seats against Democratic endorsed George Lloyd in the Town of Sweden council person race.

Rob Carges has been on the board for 12 years. He said a degree of continuity is important for the town. "We've had several long-time employees retire and one pass away, so there's a great deal of change at the town hall in the past couple of years," he said. "As the longest serving town board member, I provide continuity for staff and the residents. Also, there are things I still want to accomplish as a town board member."

He said he has ideas regarding intermunicipal cooperation, the care of cemeteries and infrastructure projects he'd like to pursue. While on the board, Carges said he is most proud of the way the board has improved its communication and the sharing of information.

"We've started a website and a quarterly newsletter," he said. "We've been more proactive with news releases and public information meetings."

Another accomplishment that he's proud of is the town's ability to team up with other entities to bring public water to the residents.

"I think we've been very creative in partnering with the towns of Clarkson and Clarendon, the Monroe County Water Authority and Iroquois Rock Products to make public water a reality for some of our residents," he said.

One of the most important issues facing not only Sweden, but every town government, is dealing with rising costs without creating an excessive burden on the taxpayer.

"We've initiated several measures over the past couple of years to try to help control costs. These measures have included joining the Monroe County Municipal Workers Compensation Pool, aggressively bidding our insurance packages, requiring all town employees to contribute 20 percent of their health insurance premium and developing guidelines for the use of town vehicles," he said, adding that another important issue is maintaining the town's infrastructure.

"Future development is also an issue," he said. "Our Comprehensive Plan is a joint venture with the Village of Brockport so it considers what is best for the whole community, not just the town."

In addition to his time on the board, Carges has served two years on the environmental conservation board and has served as the deputy supervisor for the past four years.

He is a life-long resident of the community and he and his wife, Karen, have four sons. "I believe the current town board has accomplished much for our community and I feel I have played an important role in those accomplishments," he said. "I'd like the opportunity to make sure that the town keeps offering the services our residents have come to expect, and explore the possibility of new services, while keeping our town tax rate as one of the lowest in the county."

Candidate George Lloyd said, "Our town has been governed by one party rule for too many years, which is fundamentally unfair because many of us feel we are not adequately represented." He questioned how a one party rule can fairly represent the interests of all the residents.

"Almost all votes on our town board are unanimous, except for the occasional abstention due to a possible conflict of interest," he said. "And sadly, there is rarely any open debate between our board members."

He said that he and many residents do not always agree with the decisions the current leadership has made over the past several years. "The board needs to focus more on basic human needs, like municipal services for those who desperately need them, and are willing to pay for them," he said. It's a matter of priority. I do support recreation, but I can't support the practice of putting 'nice to have' projects before 'must have' projects."

He said he felt it was time to run this year in order to bring a more balanced representation to the board. "Individuals are needed on the town board who will not always operate in lock step with each other," he said. "My candidacy is based on ending this trend and bringing checks and balances to our town board, which I hope will reflect the true representation of our community."

He said he doesn't disagree with everything the town board is trying to accomplish but said there needs to be a representative on the board who can "remain steadfast to his/her principles."

Lloyd said that quality of life, reasonable growth and the survival of business on Main Street re important issues facing the town.

"Quality of life to me is seeing that our community has basic human services such as public water and sewers. I do not think, in this day and age, these are luxuries," he said. "Only recently have new water mains been laid in town, thanks in part to joint efforts from the towns of Clarendon and Clarkson. I think the town board should do all it can, such as applying for available grants, to help those who need municipal water ... I don't believe our current leadership has aggressively tried to assist those residents who are faced with this very serious problem."

Lloyd said he is all for "smart, reasonable, steady growth" but lately, there have been several proposals for what he calls instant, pop-up neighborhoods.

"I think we should be careful about how much commercial expansion we allow. This could have serious consequences for business on Main Street and elsewhere in town," he said. "We can retain our small town character and still have sensible growth without overwhelming our community. I'd like our town board to think about protecting our established businesses and not overdevelop, simply in order to make a quick buck in the name of more tax revenue."

Although he has not held public office before, Lloyd pointed out that neither did his opponents prior to their initial elections to the board.

"I hope I have the privilege of serving my community, not as a politician, but as a public servant," he said.

A former member of the Air Force, he has membership in several organizations within the community, he said.

He and his wife, Gail, have three sons and five grandchildren.

"I care about our community," he said. "I would look out for its best interests, short and long term, and offer fair and balances representation for all our residents."

Danielle Windus-Cook said she is seeking re-election because she feels that being on the town board is a way to give something back to the community.

"We have started many projects - park development, water district expansion, care of abandoned cemeteries and updates to the town code - that I would like to see through," she said.

She said she is most proud of the on-going development of the Town Park. The skate park provided youth with a facility they had been requesting for years. The handicapped restrooms, soccer fields, playground and pavilion are amenities that all our residents can enjoy. She said town leaders have plans for a full-size baseball field and multi-purpose field.

"I am also extremely proud of the number of grants we have received over the past three years, more than $460,000, to help develop the park, re-align the road to the community center and expand the parking lot at the senior center," she said. "We are being very creative and very aggressive in securing outside funds to enhance our community."

Windus-Cook said the most important issue is the town's ability to provide services at a reasonable cost to the taxpayers. "We have expanded services tremendously over the past few years while maintaining a low tax rate," she said. "I believe our residents want services that make Sweden an attractive, convenient place to live, but at the same time, they want the town to be fiscally conservative wit h their tax dollars. I think we have struck a nice balance."

Another important issue facing Sweden is development, she said. Because Sweden is, first and foremost, a rural town with a strong agricultural heritage, we want to preserve and honor that heritage, she said.

"One of the ways I think we can do this is with a Sweden Farmers Museum that helps educate our citizens about the importance of farming to our community," she said. "Another way we can do this is to encourage development t occur close to the existing high-density infrastructure so that our rural areas can be protected."

A life-long resident and business owner in the community, Windus-Cook said she is involved in many local organizations and is closely tied to the community.

"I think my business education and business experience have provided me with the skills needed to help prepare the town budget and grant applications, and participate in the management of various town departments," she said. "My strong communication skills help create understanding between constituents and the town government. My four years on the town board have been a learning process that will better enable me to serve Sweden residents for the next four years."

Her son is a fifth grader in the Brockport Central School District.

"I bring a lot of enthusiasm and love for this community to the town board. I have gone well beyond the minimum effort required of the position and tackled projects and issues that I believe others might not have pursued," she said. "I believe I have made a difference in my four years on the board and I would like the chance to finish the work I have begun."

The council seats in Sweden carry a four year term and bring with them an annual salary of $6,330.

October 23, 2005