Candidate who lost close race in Yates announces write-in campaign

Editor:

We need new leadership on the Town Board of Yates. Having narrowly missed winning the Republican primary, I am compelled to run a write-in campaign for town supervisor. I am willing to do it in order to serve all Yates residents regardless of party affiliation.

A significant majority of the residents of Yates are against Apex’s Lighthouse Wind project. I am convinced that Yates is opposed to Apex and loss of home rule after hosting a debate for and against industrial wind turbines at Genesee Community College; by going door-to-door the past eight weeks and speaking to hundreds of residents about the Apex proposal; by closely reading the hundreds of comments on the Public Service Commission website about the project; by seeing the hundreds of no-wind-turbine lawn signs across our town; and by listening to the public comments made by concerned residents at town board meetings these past 9 months.

Our Town Board found out about Apex in October of 2014. If I had been the town supervisor then, I would have been shocked to learn that Apex had secretly signed leases before the Town Board even knew they were in town.

I would have pushed for a resolution declaring a halt to all further discussions with Apex until they signed the NYS Wind Ethics code. For our town supervisor to claim there is nothing that can be done is very troubling. Meanwhile, Apex continues to sign leases behind our backs and refuses to sign the wind ethics code.

The Yates Town Board agreed on Aug. 13 to conduct a survey in order to gauge the will of the people. This was a welcome step, but long overdue. Our neighboring Town of Somerset decided to do a survey and had the design, development, implementation and publication of the results completed within 4 weeks.

In Somerset, 67 percent of respondents are against Apex’s proposal! That was in May. Had I been the town leader with such a monumental decision facing our town, I would have immediately launched a parallel survey effort to match Somerset.

No action was taken in Yates for 5 months. Now, over a month has passed since the decision was made to do the Yates survey, and we were told on Sept. 9 that it could be several more weeks before the survey is even written and months before the results are available. This is unacceptable.

If elected, I will establish a Business Development Committee to help us seek ways to attract businesses. I will institute a community-wide Renewable Energy Task Force to explore alternative energy sources like solar, geothermal, micro-wind and other forms of clean energy. I will seek grant funding to enhance our town park with restrooms and a playground. I will try to leverage USDA Rural Development funds to extend clean water to all town residents.

I will stop Apex and the State from industrializing our town against our will.
My town is worth serving. I ask for your vote.

James Simon
Yates