Gaines supervisor says important changes have been made in the town’s government

Editor:

It will be the 100th Anniversary of woman’s suffrage and my fourth term as the first woman Supervisor in the Town of Gaines.

Just like the women in 1848 through the 1920’s, I have been faced with some challenges concerning changes that were needed to be made as Supervisor.

Planning Board: We were down to 4 members the appointed board was struggling.  Through Land Use Training, an Attorney presented the benefits of appointing ZBA for PB Issues.

The Planning Board was organized by resolution and we were informed we could dissolve by resolution and so we did.  The ZBA has done an excellent job handling all planning and zoning issues.

Town Attorney: The Town Attorney is appointed on an annual basis by board approval.  As a new Supervisor, I felt it was time for a fresh start and the majority of the board agreed.  Andrew Meier has done a magnificent job and has saved us money.

Code of Ethics:  We passed a new code of ethics keeping elected officials that work for you out of Nominating Committees so political parties would not have direct influence on town decisions (My opponent, the Gaines Republican Chairman, obviously disagrees with that philosophy).

Our town has been faced with challenges but we have risen above and it is now in great shape! We have a wonderful board and we work together as a team making decisions that benefit our entire Town – not a select few.

The select few and their self-endorsed committee friends want you to believe that the list of things we have accomplished are goals they need to address. Their lack of attendance speaks volumes on their lack of information. Let’s keep Gaines in a good place.

Sincerely,

Carol Culhane

Town of Gaines Supervisor