Allport brings experience and expertise to role as county legislator
Editor:
I write this letter of support for Don Allport in my individual capacity. While the Orleans County Government is perceived to be an all-knowing, haphazard, decision-making organization that works solely behind closed doors, as projected by the Marlene Seielstad campaign for County Legislator At-Large Central position, this is categorically false, and a highly misleading platform for a political campaign.
The Orleans County Legislature and all of the departments that we oversee for the taxpayers that we represent are committed to transparency and public input.
We have invested heavily on designing our outreach, through our County Website, which is ADA compliant, our press releases, that are one of our many cost-saving shared services with neighboring counties, the continuation of hybrid in-person and online standing committee and Legislature meetings, and our monthly Association of Municipalities’ meetings, in which your local Town and Village officials attend to get additional information that may be pertinent to make your local municipality a better place to live, work and play in.
Every resident can rest assured that we completely vet and probe all possible impacts and options, while taking in current and long-term implications. The keyboard critics and the coffee-clutch membership may talk a good game, but ask them where they got their information to form their opinion. With almost certainty, they probably weren’t at or streaming our meetings, viewing our website, or talking to any of the seven Legislators. Their want for transparency is commendable, and actually using it is paramount.
The campaign to Re-elect Don Allport is the obvious choice. Don’s IT background, his dedicated leadership on the Public Health, Mental Health, Office for the Aging, and Veterans Standing Committees, which are vital segments of our community, and his involvement in critical County-wide decisions, demonstrates his commitment to improving the quality of life in our county. Don understands the wants, needs and desires our county residents have and those must be navigated through the myriad of un-funded mandates that are pushed down by New York State, that the Legislature must abide by or be financially punished, much of which is the result of the One-Party Rule we see endorsing Mrs. Seielstad.
Marlene’s website also distorts the sales tax distribution calculation within the County. As the holder of an Accounting Degree from my Alma-Mater, SUNY Oswego, has she studied the current county budget? When we had to utilize approximately $15 million of sales tax revenue to make up the shortfall that the Real Property levy couldn’t sustain, that’s basic accounting. How could we fund our internal obligations and also increase our subsidies to the other municipalities? There isn’t enough wealth to redistribute, unless we raise taxes, break the mandated tax cap, and face the financial repercussions.
While competition is a cornerstone to success, even Marlene should consider voting for Don Allport, since her own website says “She believes experience matters. Transparency matters. And every taxpayer deserves to understand how public decisions are made.” That sounds like an endorsement for Don Allport!
Respectfully submitted,
John Fitzak
Carlton
Mr. Fitzak is an Orleans County legislator for District 4 – towns of Carlton, Kendall and most of Murray.
