Issues

If elected Supervisor, I will work with the Town Board and religious organizations establish a comfortable and safe warming and cooling center. The median age of Woodstock’s residents is 61.3. The Town should expand the property tax exemption for our seniors and disabled neighbors. Let's also eliminate summer camp tuition for residents, making Woodstock more affordable for families that struggle to stay here.

Imagine if your next-door neighbor turned their property into a toxic dump. That happened in Shady but the town has dawdled rather than enforce its laws and remove the contaminated waste. We must finally clean up the Shady Dump that threatens our aquifer. And let's work with top hydrologists to get dangerous forever chemicals out of the water supply.

We should improve coordination with Woodstock's terrific volunteer Fire Department and upgrade the police department. Let's work with neighboring localities, state officials and communications companies to fix cellular and broadband dead zones, which endangers public safety. Let's bolster pedestrian safety, improving sidewalks and street lighting. Our government must proactively mitigate potential emergencies but be poised to respond quickly when disasters occur.

Our local government cries out for reform. Right after the last election, Woodstock's Supervisor received a nearly 20% raise. Let's press the town board to cede its power to give raises to themselves and the Supervisor. If elected, I will aim to impose term limits for elected officials and I promise not to serve more than two full terms. 

I support reimagining the town's public spaces but replacing the decrepit youth center should be the first priority. We should create a reserve fund for other priorities like an indoor pool and a gym and only build when we receive pledges from philanthropic sources and state government. Unquestionably, our community must create more senior, workforce and affordable housing, since the average rent in the 12498 zip code for a house with more than two bedrooms exceeds $5500 per month. The Town's Highway Garage is falling apart; the roof is leaking and the employees can't drink the water. Woodstock's cumbersome website needs a redesign and we should improve the sound quality of streamed town meetings. Not being able to hear the town conduct its business—your business—is a major problem. It deprives you of democracy.

Our local arts and culture nonprofits need a break. Expect the Trump administration to slash the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities. The likely loss of federal funding will filter down to local cultural organizations. In response, the town should at least eliminate the cost of operating permits for arts and culture nonprofits.

Let's create a "First Friday" event, where many merchants and culture organizations stay open one evening a month. It will boost business, which is especially important in winter months.