Dear Editor,
The name of my party is Rebuild Owego and I take the rebuild part of that name to heart. I first ran in 2012 to help the Village rebuild from the flood and I am running again to ensure we keep moving forward.
I am looking to build infrastructure, not remove it, to build connections between our departments, not to pit them against each other.
The current Village board policy of not hiring police officers for positions we have already paid for is irresponsible and dangerous. They are putting the life and safety of our residents at risk by reducing our police coverage while they search for “options”. Are we are saving any money by not filling those open positions? No! The money budgeted for the three full-time police officers was already spent on overtime and part-time coverage.
This “positive” party continues to try to convince the public that the OPD is too expensive and needs to be abolished because they can’t provide 24/7 coverage without raising our taxes. This is ridiculous.
The OPD budget for the 2013-2014 year did provide 24/7 coverage for the village and did not raise taxes at all. The only reason the Chief is having trouble providing police coverage for the village now, is because the “positive” party has refused to hire full-time officers to fill those open positions; instead forcing the Village to pay enormous amounts of overtime and the hiring of part-timers as seasonal workers that need to be terminated every three months. This is not a professional, business-like or safe way to run a department.
I am running for trustee because I do not like or condone the politics of playing favorites – the kind of politics that puts the personal agenda of a few “positive” people above the safety and security of all village residents.
While this board continues to fight the same battles that have been fought for the last 30 years, they are not doing the hard work of planning for our future. They are not looking for opportunities to generate revenue, rebuild our infrastructure and prepare our Village for growth.
There are many challenges facing a Village like ours in the Southern Tier of New York; rising costs, lack of jobs, inattention and unfunded mandates from Albany, to name a few. Having a police and fire department is not one of them.
I am running for Village trustee because I think it’s time to stop the bickering, the infighting and the rumors.
This is where I live, the place where I am raising my children, and I want it to be the best it can be.
Sincerely,
Phoebe Morris
Village of Owego candidate for Trustee on the Rebuild Owego Party
