Growth...

In order to keep taxes under control we must continue to encourage business growth in our area.  I think we need to pave the way by providing tax incentives and clearing a path through needless regulation and bureaucracy that create roadblocks to development.

Tourism...

From the Lake Erie waterfront to winery tours, festivals and the many other activities and attractions, we are in a unique situation.  The Town of Hanover and our county are rural areas that have many wonderful tourist destinations.  I think more needs to be done to promote and grow tourism.  I will work hard to make that happen.  One of the main things I would like to see done is to bring a national chain hotel to the Route 5 & 20 business corridor.  This will allow people visiting our area the ability to extend their stay without having to rent a cottage for a whole week (months in advance) or to drive 20 miles or more to Dunkirk or Hamburg.  A nationally recognized name like a Hampton Inn or Holiday Inn Express would allow people to find the hotel through on-line hotel booking sites and travel agencies.  It would also bring more out-of-town revenue to the area, off the Thruway, year-round. And, of course, it would create more jobs.

Tax Reduction...

The key to reducing taxes is to grow our tax base.  We can do that by being more business friendly and by making our area a better place to call home.  Bringing businesses to the area means having more private-sector conveniences for residents and more local jobs.  Besides a hotel, we need to encourage other businesses to set up shop in the Town of Hanover so the residents have less reason to spend their money elsewhere and the visitors have more reasons to come here.

Reducing the Size of the Legislature...

Since my 2009 campaign I have been consistent that I am in favor of prudent downsizing of the county legislature.  In July of 2010, I proposed an amendment to a local law that would have put the number at 19 legislators and sent it on to be voted on in the fall election. Ultimately, the law did not pass.  I sponsored a similar bill in the April 2011 legislature meeting to do the same thing for this fall.  Unfortunately, it also failed.  But myself and other members of the legislature will try again at the May meeting and hopefully we will be successful.   It is time to settle this subject and move on.  The size of the legislature is a distraction from the real issues we face in our county.