Steve May.
Last week, the Taxpayers First Party announced their candidates for the March 20 village elections. On the ballot will be the current Mayor, Steve May, who is running for re-election while Ed Morton, Earl Hartman, and Mike Phelps are running for re-election as Trustees.
According to the party’s platform, the key priorities for the Taxpayers First Party are financial transparency and accuracy, sustainability, and to ensure all residents have a voice.
May, who was elected as Mayor in 2016, will run for re-election. May also served as a Trustee from 2014 to 2016.
May has been a resident and business owner in the Village of Owego since 1992; he owns the Owego & Harford Railway as well as ten other local companies.
A husband and father of two, May has served as a Board Member for the Tioga County Boys & Girls Club, is a supporter and volunteer for Stray Haven, Camp Ahwaga, Tioga Opportunities, the Special Olympics and Tioga Youth Soccer, as well as several other local organizations.
The Taxpayers First Party states it will not increase levels of Village services without being able to tell residents how it affects their taxes. They stated that in 2017 the taxes were held steady, with no property tax increase.
May commented, “We have tried to consolidate or revamp services as opposed to outright elimination, and have tried to consolidate when it makes sense for the taxpayers of the Village.”
May mentioned that one consolidation effort, a referendum to consolidate justice needs, failed, and an effort to consolidate the Owego Police Department (OPD) with the Tioga County Sheriff’s office is at an impasse.
When asked about OPD changes, May explained that coverage is still 24/7 with both full and part-time officers, many with 20 years of experience. The Village Board hired a part-time Police Chief, and with a limited budget, May said the new Chief has improved policing efforts.
Regarding the abolishment of the Owego Historic Preservation Committee (OHPC), May stated, “The Board is definitely going to staff an OHPC committee. We are seeking candidates for this and are welcoming suggestions.”
May explained that since taking office in 2016, completing delinquent Village audits from 2012 has been a priority. Three past due audits are complete, and a draft for the 2015 / 2016 audit and the 2016 / 2017 audit is scheduled to be completed in March.
For 2018 and beyond, the Taxpayers First Party has communicated they will be up front about the ability to afford the current level of services and any tax increases due to rising costs.
May added, “Continued funding of duplicated services and increasing costs will be impossible for any board, whomever that may be, to hold village taxes flat.”
Ed Morton.
Incumbent Trustee Ed Morton, elected in 2016, is running for re-election in the First Ward.
Morton is the Sr. Vice President and Broome / Tioga Market Executive at Chemung Canal Trust Company. An OFA graduate, Morton holds a bachelor of science degree in Applied Economics from Cornell’s Dyson School of Management.
Morton is a Treasurer and Board Member at A New Hope Center, a Board Member for the Tioga Chamber of Commerce, and also a Board Member for the UHS Foundation. Morton has also been a volunteer coach for the Owego Junior Football League.
Morton, an eighth generation Owego resident, lives in the Village with his wife and four children.
Morton stated, “I’m proud of the work the Taxpayers First team has done over the last two years in bringing financial accountability to the Village and holding the line on taxes while still delivering vital services,” adding, “There is a lot of work ahead to make sure our finances are stable and sustainable. I think my financial expertise will be vital to that work.”
Morton explained that the party’s accomplishments over the last two years align with their campaign promises of bringing forward accountability and giving voters a say in major issues, and that balancing the budget while maintaining vital services is a significant challenge going forward.
Morton shared, “I am committed to maintaining our public safety services and will continue to bring my business and financial perspective to our budget process and priorities.”
Earl Hartman.
Incumbent Trustee Earl Hartman, elected in 2014, is running for re-election in the Second Ward.
Hartman retired after 42 years from Cornell, where he worked in civil engineering, project management, budgets, code enforcement, and as an emergency coordinator. Hartman is currently an EMT with the Village of Owego Emergency Squad and is active on the Board of Directors for Tioga Opportunities and the Council of Governments.
Born and raised in the Village, Hartman and his wife, Judy, have four children and several grandchildren.
Hartman stated, “I have remained committed to ensuring that the rights of those with a quieter voice are heard. As an officer of the Village, we are elected to serve and protect ‘all,’ not just the privileged or of high profile with strong voices that want to maintain ‘old’ status quo to protect their own self-interest. If re-elected I will remain diligent to do so.”
In addition to audits and the police force, Hartman also mentioned recovering significant funds from the Waste Water Treatment Plant project and working with the fire department on staffing, equipment and stability as accomplishments, and commented that challenges ahead include keeping audits on task and getting sewer rates lowered, among many others.
Mike Phelps.
Incumbent Trustee Mike Phelps is running for re-election in the Third Ward, having first been elected in 2014.
Phelps graduated from OFA and Elmira College. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice Administration and has 19 years of law enforcement experience. Phelps serves on the Vestal Police Department and is also a V.F.W. Men’s Auxiliary member.
A husband and father of four, Phelps is a third generation resident of Owego.
Phelps commented, “I am looking forward to working with all parties across the County, Town and Village on economic development in the Village, such as Phase II of Owego Gardens and the pocket community efforts. I have been fire commissioner and enjoyed moving our department forward on PESH violations, along with efforts to modernize and replace our equipment.”
All Village residents are eligible to vote in the March 20 election if they are registered with the Tioga County Board of Elections.
The Taxpayers First Party encourages residents to contact them with questions; find them on Facebook, attend Village Board meetings, or stop to chat when you see them walking about the Village. Contact information can also be found on the Village website.
The Party candidates plan to visit residents, door-to-door. A “Meet the Candidates” night will also be scheduled in March; a date and time will be announced.
Read this quote carefully….in his re-election bid Mr. Hartman stated in a recent Pennysaver submission, “I have remained committed to ensuring that the rights of those with a quieter voice are heard. As an officer of the Village, we are elected to serve and protect ‘all,’ not just the privileged or of high profile with strong voices that want to maintain ‘old’ status quo to protect their own self-interest. If re-elected I will remain diligent to do so.”
Mr. Hartman, we take issue with this statement. As an elected official, your job is to make decisions that best represent the views of the majority of your constituents. To perform otherwise as an elected public official is politically unethical. Our first challenge to your statement is to ask, “Who was the quiet voice that was motive behind your campaign to dissolve a commission that is beneficial to the health of this village and did this voice represent a majority opinion?”
We respect the idea of defending those quiet voices who cannot defend themselves. And in a democracy it is important that the ‘quiet voices’ be heard. However, if the ‘quiet voices’ represent a minority opinion, then the desires of the majority of residents must take precedence in decision making. A overwhelming majority of longtime residents of this village were asking for their voices to be heard in defense of the OHPC at multiple recent trustee meetings. Despite these majority voices, the status quo of maintaining the OPHC and all benefits it includes was unanimously voted against by the village board in favor of supporting those few not-so-quiet voices who chose to ignore rules and codes of an historic district.
As a result, to frame the OHPC issue on a moral stance of defending ‘quiet voices’ is off-base and assuming a naive ear. Further, to label residents who are choosing to maintain a level of historic and aesthetic quality in this community as ‘privileged’ is misguided and inappropriate for a public official. In terms of your being ‘diligent to do so’, remember that the duty of a trustee is to be diligent in protecting and enforcing the code and not defending those who choose to ignore the law, quiet voice or otherwise.
Maintaining the ‘status quo’ is not always a bad thing. Having an OHPC is a ‘status quo’ that was a benefit to this village. The village codes designed to preserve the ‘status quo’ historic nature of this town have maintained a charm that is the pride of this community. On a final note, regarding the recent decision to dissolve the OHPC by our current Taxpayers First party members: the OHPC cost to the taxpayer was $0.00 and the Certified Local Government status it conveyed was a distinct advantage for securing the economic development funding that has potential to increase the number of taxable properties and tax revenue in this village. It is hard to imagine a rational ‘quiet voice’ being opposed to this idea. If tax payers are truly first in your platform, then on the most basic level, the village board’s decision to dissolve the OHPC was a decision that is against the very agenda you profess.
Sheriffs couldn’t do the job o. P. D. Does. It’s like o. P. D. S hands are tide crime not getting better and will go up lack of patrol and on call only
Opds. Hands are tide
Make Oregon safe again. Family oriented again not drugs thugs
Owego