Candidate says Yates has to contend with turbine project, other issues

Editor:

Greetings. My name is John Riggi and I’m a candidate for Yates Town Council on the Republican ticket for the upcoming November 2015 elections, as endorsed by the Town of Yates Republican Committee.

Having grown up and worked in a farming community (Caledonia, NY), I was taught early in life about the importance of the job that we all have in ensuring our rural lands remain fertile, productive and rural.

Every issue and decision considered by the Town Board must be evaluated by the Board to ensure that all constituent’s desires are taken into account, discussed and communicated prior to any decision on the town’s direction.

This is especially important now in the Town of Yates. Given all that is currently in play right now for the town, it would be easy to focus only on the biggest issue in front of the town right now (industrial wind turbines). That would be a mistake.

We have many issues that need to be addressed and the Town Board needs to take the clear lead in ensuring that we all move forward into the future on a clear, well-defined path that values our past, present and uses that past, present and our unique resources to drive the town to a planned, successful future. Unique resources such as: Agriculture, Lakefront, The Village of Lyndonville, Wildlife, Parklands and The People of The Town of Yates are critical to that future.

Regarding leadership: It is crucial for the Town Board to ensure that the key values of crystal clear ethics, data-driven decision making and ongoing outreach into the community drive the Town Board’s leadership. We are your public servants and as such need to understand your views in order to properly govern and guide our community.

There is much work to do, but we have a tremendous set of resources at our disposal to drive Yates into a successful future. I promise the constituents of the Town of Yates that I will work diligently to make use of these resources and our town laws to guarantee an ever improving Town of Yates.

John Riggi
Candidate for Yates Town Council

Editor’s Note: Riggi is also president of Save Ontario Shores, a group opposed to a wind turbine project in Yates and Somerset.