Running for Le Roy Town Council
Submitted by Jennifer Keys on October 27, 2009 - 9:30am
My name is Jennifer Keys and I am a candidate for Town Council in Le Roy. I am running for office because I strongly believe that community involvement and public service are intrinsic responsibilities of citizens. My husband and I chose Le Roy to raise our family for it’s unique qualities -- strong school district, beautiful picturesque village and rural values. We plan on making this community our home for many, many years to come.
I hold a Master’s degree in World History and undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Political Science. I left my full time job as a Care Coordinator at St. Joseph’s Villa to raise my family. I also worked at Berkshire Farms as a respite care provider and as an adjunct instructor at Monroe Community College.
My community service experience includes my membership on the Le Roy PTSO, YWCA mentor program, former PAC-TAC (Police and Citizens Against Crime) volunteer scheduler, former Rape Crisis Counselor and a Faith Haven “Friend” to teenage and young adult women in crisis pregnancies. I also founded a neighborhood watch organization in the Swillburg neighborhood in Rochester, where we lived for 12 years.
While communities across NY have had unique challenges because of the recession, I also see opportunities for Le Roy and Western NY. My issues include: economic development, where I see the empty storefronts and hope that we can attract locally owned businesses, “Green” energy integration, recreation (and particularly mitigating the Le Roy municipal pool to a conclusion that satisfies the community’s needs), and of course most of all, listening to the concerns of Le Roy citizens. I feel that I can also bring budget and fiscal sound policies to the table.
The key to good government is an open dialog with the citizens. If elected, I will make that a priority.
- Jennifer Keys's blog
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October 27, 2009 - 8:07am
#2
Jennifer is one of the most "got it together" ladies I know. She is smart, caring, and dedicated to putting forth the effort to improve her community. She knows her priorities and gives her all to everything she undertakes.
I know she would be the person who would have my vote if I lived in LeRoy.
Best of luck, Jennifer. ;)
October 27, 2009 - 11:07am
#3
The key to good government and economic prosperity is less government, not more of it.
You want green power? Work to have Niagara supply the region and not NYC. Or build a nuke plant, they are green.
October 27, 2009 - 12:06pm
#4
So what do you suggest Peter, do away with town boards? And that citizens should not step up to the plate in their local communities? This is as local as it gets. Jennifer has dedicated the past three months to educating herself on LeRoy's issues, from attending every board meeting in the town and most in the village to studying the comprehensive plan for both entities. She is a very competent candidate that I am very proud to support.
October 27, 2009 - 12:45pm
#5
No I was commenting specifically on her economic development and hoping that she improve things by making the environment better to attract businesses by lowering taxes and not introducing new crappy ordinances that restrict what a business can do.
October 27, 2009 - 2:34pm
#6
While I have not had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Keys, all accounts I've heard is that she's a very smart and nice lady. However, being such a new face in LeRoy politics, I think the onus is on her to give more details on her plans to accomplish her goals. For example - " ...economic development, where I see the empty storefronts and hope that we can attract locally owned businesses, “Green” energy integration, recreation..." That sounds very nice and all, and I bet the Republicans and everybody else in the town would like the same thing - what makes your ideas so special?
We've already elected someone to a much higher office that ran on the same kind of vague language and now we're stuck. Let's hold both Democrats and Republicans to a higher standard now - make them tell us what they're going to do, how they plan to do it, and hold them to their promise. Remember, the local races are the average citizens best chance to have their voices really heard.
October 27, 2009 - 4:53pm
#7
Hi, Sean, I have eaten at the Depot and love the food and the ambiance. I realize that I am pretty much an unknown in LeRoy, but I am hoping that my run for council will change all that.
Thank you for sharing your concerns. I would like to offer some specifics and details starting with economic development. I think it's a great question because of your very successful locally owned business model at the D & R Depot. Maybe I can sit down with you sometime and get your input. Businesses, like yours, need to be embraced and patronized so that they thrive and give citizens access to goods and services that they truly want. Obviously people enjoy the food at the Depot. You have found a niche and it is successful. It isn't because of local government; it is more because of you. But, I do believe that town government can make it attractive for businesses to take a risk here in the Town of Le Roy. Can the answer be as simple as making available property, rental information and Empire Zone information more easily accessible to entrepreneurs? I know of a few businesses that are new start ups -- Splash Pools, Locally Made, Java's on Main, Vintage and Vogue, the ATV place out in Lime Rock. These small businesses are the economic engine to a small municipality, like LeRoy. I want to find out just what the town government can do to make succeeding through the first five years a possibility, even if it's as simple as supplying information. The second thing would be to keep the local taxes stable.
Green energy and the environment is an important issue for me. One thing that I've been hearing recently is how disappointed many LeRoyans are after National Grid trimmed our beautiful trees in the Town. After talking to a few people I learned that Le Roy used to have a citizen Tree Commission. That would be one of the first things that I would look into starting up again. There are recycling issues that Tom Stella has been instrumental on bringing to fruition that involve electronic device disposal at the transfer station. This is important because these devices house a great many hazards to the environment and if not disposed of properly can impact our environment. Clearly the environment is an important issue for the Board, as well, and I’d like to be able to work on this with them. I also would love to find a way to bring in some “Green Energy" businesses to Le Roy. There certainly is the manufacturing space. I have the time and the enthusiasm to research this and I will.
Finally, one of my favorite issues is recreation. When the school was built on South St there was a promise that the citizens would have use of the facilities for recreation. I envision basketball leagues (my husband played in a league in Brighton and misses it terribly), senior walking programs and maybe even adult classes in fencing and yoga held right at the school. I am not saying that the school has reneged on its promise, but I am not seeing these services offered, which may be a case of no one exploring our possibilities. I am involved in martial arts and believe in a healthy mind and body. A town the size of Le Roy needs a community centered place to play and learn for all ages. The perfect location is one of the three school buildings. I would work with the school, private businesses and our recreation department to bring diverse programming to our recreation. I believe that recreation should be available for all ages. I also am very concerned with the status of the LeRoy pool. If elected I would make the pool a priority. This is a vital piece to our community and has been since the early 70's. It should come to a referendum and then acted upon jointly between the town and village governments.
I hope that this has helped you with a little more detail. It's hard to write all this in an ad and I apologize if I haven't gotten to your house yet. I walk and talk to citizens almost every day, but am sure I'm still missing many. I would be happy to set up a meeting to expound further.
October 27, 2009 - 4:53pm
#8
Thank you for your input, Peter. You have very intriguing ideas.
October 27, 2009 - 4:54pm
#9
Thank you for the support, Bea and Lorie.
October 27, 2009 - 7:34pm
#10
Jennifer, so filling up those vacant buildings on Main is something I have a personal interest in. Besides the fact that every new business is a potential advertiser (we already count among our Le Roy sponsors FastTec, Vintage & Vogue, D&R Depot), but Le Roy has amazing potential as a destination village (despite the unfortunate presence of McDonald's and Walgreen's). You have Bill Farmer investing about $1 million opening a new business that is very likely to draw customers from Buffalo and Rochester, and that great creek area, bridge and school (absolutely scenic), along with some great business and residential architecture in the Village.
Of course, that's all Village business interest and you're running for the town board, but I believe New York's towns are often quite dependent on the villages they often surround -- so what can you do to support business growth in the village. Your answer above seems to indicate you're interested in the village, but I'm still not seeing much in the way of specifics.
Sean makes a valid point -- New York needs leaders who get beyond the rhetoric of "I support business growth" and actually offering up concrete proposals that will help.
Also, the coming of Wal-Mart to the town is much more likely to damage the local business community than help, so what's your position on the future of Wal-Mart in Le Roy?
And thank you for being willing to us a forum like this to discussion your positions. That speaks well of your suitability for leadership in these modern times.
October 27, 2009 - 9:07pm
#11
Howard's post made me think...why do we have a village government and a town government? Same question can be asked about alot of village/town situations in NYS. AG Andrew Cuomo visited WNY not very long ago, with a vision of streamlining government. There are 10000+ governing bodies in NYS, each thinking IT is THE most important entity that exists.
Jennifer, I'm curious your position on this. Do you know why it is this way? And do you think consolidation of services on a county level is a good idea? I live in Leroy, and have seen my taxes increase tremendously over the last decade. If I pay taxes to help provide for the sheriff department, why am I taxed again for a local police department? Same thing with public works.
And, JMO, we dropped the ball when the new high school was built. A pool should have been a part of the design, and the Munson St facility put out of its misery. That pool has needed attention for years, and the timing was perfect to do something then. I can tell you I am against building anything that is going to increase our ridiculous tax burden, and I am not alone in that thinking.
October 27, 2009 - 10:42pm
#12
Thanks for your time and for answering my questions. It says a lot about you that you are 1. on the Batavian connecting with voters, and 2. willing to explain your positions in print. I would love it if you would introduce yourself the next time you're in.
October 27, 2009 - 11:17pm
#13
To answer Bud Prevost -- I would say that duplication of services is something that must be addressed. I know that the town and village share recreation, courts, zoning and I believe that the village DPW and town Highway Department at the very least share equipment. I would be in favor of looking at other ways that we can save. It will be up to the citizens to decide if consolidation is the answer and I will support what they decide. The police department is a huge expense. I grew up in Canandaigua and lived in Rochester, both larger communities where public safety demanded police departments. I believe that the residents need a referendum so that they can decide for themselves and again I would support their decisions. I am a village resident and pay taxes in both the town and the village so I have a vested interest and will continue to attend village meetings whether I am successful or not with my bid for Town Council. I am definitely in favor of streamlining and nothing should be taken off the table as we look to the future. However, I am not in favor of a county government making decisions that should be up to the town and village.
October 27, 2009 - 11:21pm
#14
To Howard Owens -- I have been a nominee for this position since August, so I may not have all the specifics, but I know how I feel as a citizen. I am much more in favor of locally owned businesses. Le Roy has so much potential and I don't think that chains enhance a community as much as locally owned and operated businesses do. These local business people are more apt to help raise funds for local projects like playgrounds, skate parks, and fixing a community pool. I believe in sustainability and finding whatever one might need or want in their own back yard. If we can attract locally owned businesses the tax money stays in our community or in the county at least. Money that is earned by small businesses circulates back into the community and has so much more of a positive impact. People that own businesses most likely also own a home that they pay taxes on. It's a win-win. I am grateful to Bill Farmer and his investment in the Creekside. I have watched this in amazement and see this future business as the perfect weekend destination. I hope that the creek bank area can also be integrated into any future planning. Growing up in Canandaigua, I saw what kind of positive impact weekend destinations can have on a community. People coming in for dinner, have a natural inclination to seek out boutiques, antique shops (The Hobby Horse and Vintage and Vogue) a future art gallery, the Jell-O museum, the Farmer's Market while in season, and countless other small businesses. The D & R Depot has that kind of positive weekend destination appeal, as well.
The "How will you do it" specifics are more difficult for me to answer completely. Like I said before, it is not the local government’s job to create businesses, but it is the government’s job to help streamline the process. I am willing to do my homework, make inquiries and seek help from other government entities.
I'd also like to thank you for allowing the debate and for hosting my blog entry. One thing that I have really enjoyed during this process has been engaging with citizens, learning about what their concerns are and whether elected next Tuesday or not -- I will be staying involved.
October 27, 2009 - 11:28pm
#15
Jennifer, well, it will be no surprise to regular readers that I like the over all thrust of your answer. It would be good to flesh out that philosophy with some specifics, but putting local business first is a step in the right direction, I think.
