Owen Toale announces write-in campaign for Medina trustee

File photo by Tom Rivers – Owen Toale speaks on Orleans Radio on Jan. 11 with Village Trustee Mike Sidari, arguing against dissolving the Village of Medina government.

MEDINA – With only one candidate stepping forward with petitions to run for the Village Board, a former trustee has announced a write-in campaign for the board.

Medina has two open positions on the March 18 village election. Both incumbents, Mark Irwin and Mark Kruzynski, opted against re-election.

Only Todd Bensely, a local teacher and historian, submitted petitions signed by at least 100 people to be on the ballot.

Owen Toale, a retired newspaper publisher, has served on the board before. He also was outspoken against dissolution, which was defeated in a referendum on Jan. 20.

“Initially I did not want to become involved in village politics again and had not taken out a petition to do so. Many individuals had approached me to run again but I declined,” Toale said in a Facebook post this morning.

Toale said he wants to help the village address “the taxation issue,” and he believes shared services can make a difference in lowering costs to the village.

“Hopefully, if I get elected, my work on the village board along with the cooperation of the rest of the board and the boards of the towns we can find ways to keep our services and lower the village taxes,” Toale said on Facebook. “It’s a tall order that is going to take some time and effort on all parts.”

Toale thinks the village and town officials can find ways to reduce the local tax burden by more than the $277,000 in savings identified by a Dissolution Committee with help from a consultant, the Center for Governmental Research in Rochester. The two towns and village have combined budgets that exceed $11 million.

“Maybe I’m a dreamer but I believe we can do better on our own,” Toale said.

Toale said Bensley is a good candidate for the board. Toale urged residents to write his name in on the ballot for March 18. Two write-in candidates, Mike Sidari and Marguerite Sherman, last March were elected, getting more votes than Patricia Crowley and David Barhite, whose names appeared on the ballot.

“If you aren’t part of the solution, you are part of the problem,” Toale said in concluding his announcement on Facebook. “I hope to be part of the solution. Thank you.”