Hellner won’t seek Medina mayor, backs Padoleski

Photos by Tom Rivers: Rollin Hellner speaks during a Jan. 29 Medina Village Board held at the high school auditorium. At the meeting he faulted the board for poor planning with the purchase of a new ladder truck without having a spot to place it. During the meeting Hellner said he was running for mayor in the March 18 election, but he decided not to seek the position and is instead backing Deborah Padoleski, a retired village clerk-treasurer and current trustee. Padoleski on Feb. 9 made the motion to declare the ladder truck surplus, and two other trustees backed that motion.

MEDINA – Rollin Hellner’s supporters have his signs around Medina, urging people to vote for him for mayor and “Make Medina Greater” on March 18.

But Hellner ultimately decided not to pursue the position. Tuesday was the deadline for submitting petitions signed by at least 100 registered voters in Medina. Hellner, 32, said he had enough signatures but is instead throwing his support behind Deborah Padoleski.

That makes it a two-person race with Padoleski against current Mayor Marguerite Sherman.

Hellner, owner of The Walsh, also owns a property development business. He said he didn’t want to split votes with Padoleski, who he said shares a similar goal as mayor. When Hellner announced his campaign for mayor, he said he didn’t know Padoleski also was planning to run.

He shares Padoleski’s position that the village didn’t do enough planning with the new ladder truck and fire hall addition, and its high taxes are driving out residents and discouraging businesses from investing in Medina.

“We have similar views,” Hellner said today about Padoleski. “A lot of business owners are frustrated with the current administration. And the taxes are just burying people.”

Hellner said village officials can come across as picking favorites and not always being fair in applying the rules.

He said the board and village government need to develop a plan for addressing the aging water and sewer lines, and also the sidewalks in disrepair.

He regrets Medina is now in the news around Western New York about the ladder truck and not having a permanent place to put it. The truck was in the compost facility and now will go to the DPW garage which is heated – until the board decides whether to sell it or keep it.

“The fire truck gets a lot of press coverage and it’s embarrassing,” Hellner said. “People see the division on board that’s not the Medina I came here for.”

He believes Padoleski can be a strong agent of change in bringing down the tax burden and helping to unify the village government.

Hellner has encouraged people who have campaign signs out for him to swap them out once the new ones arrive for Padoleski.

Sherman has been the mayor for nearly two years. She announced on Jan. 29 she wants to form a Long-Term Strategic Planning Committee to focus on Medina’s short and long-term infrastructure needs, financial sustainability, and responsible growth while preserving the character of our village.

Padoleski is running as a team with trustee candidates, Mark Prawel and Jeff Wagner. They are running under the “People’s Party.” Sherman is running under the “Village Party.”

Another candidate, Dean Bellack, is running for trustee under the “Connect Orleans Party.”

Medina’s local election don’t have the major political parties. Candidates instead pick an independent party line.

The Medina Village Board is shown during a meeting on Jan. 29 in the high school auditorium. From left include Trustee Deborah Padoleski, Trustee Jess Marciano, Village Clerk-Treasurer Jada Burgess, Mayor Marguerite Sherman, Trustee Mark Prawel and Trustee Scott Bieliski.