Public Information Meetings on Fireman's Awards Packages

January 22, 2009

(Image at left is of Chaffee Sardinia Fire Company volunteers responding to RT 16 fire in Chaffee early in January. The fire was a mutual aid event involving the Holland, Springville, Arcade, East Concord, Yorkshire, Delevan, and Chaffee Sardinia Volunteer Fire Companies.)

Special UPDATE Tuesday January 27

The Chaffee Sardinia Volunteer Fire Department has posted on their website a series of "Frequently Asked Questions" and answers regarding the Length of Service Award Program.

We hope that you will take the opportunity to look at this resource.

Chaffee Sardinia Fire Company Website:

http://csfire.org/LOSAP.htm

Don't Forget:

Thursday February 5, 7 p m.

Saturday February 7, 10 a.m. 

Sardinia Community Center, Savage Road

These public information sessions will give everyone a chance to ask questions, get answers, and make decisions. Come and talk to firemen and fire company officials, town officials, and representatives of the Award Program management team.  This is your best chance to get the truth!

For more information see the post, "Support the Fireman Award Program at the February 24 Referendum" from January 5 (Posted below)

The Standard Is Pro-Business and Stands-up for the Community.

January 22, 2009, updated Feburary 3

Since our inception the Standard has loudly and proudly advocated for local business and promoted community. We have advocated for local farmers, informed decision making, and open and responsible government. One of our underlying motivations has been the promotion of a local economy and appropriate economic development. We think that this is good for business and good for our community.

A less public story, but one which we think must be told, involves those that do not like or appreciate what the Sardinia Standard has stood for. The paper and those associated with it have been targeted as part of an aggressive and sometimes anonymous campaign. This campaign has tried to characterize us as a one sided “radical” newspaper. The malicious and unfounded accusations have targeted our writers, our advertisers, and our supporters. This is bad for business, and bad for our community.

One of the accusations that surfaces from one known individual is that the paper is little more than “Yellow Journalism”. Yellow Journalism is defined as writing that is exploitative, sensational, distorted, and misleading. The term comes from a late 19th century venture by William Randolph Hearst and his promotion of the 1898 Spanish American War. Hearst, who was famously portrayed by Orson Welles in the 1941 film Citizen Kane, acquired newspapers used the press to proclaim supporters of that war to be patriotic and those opposed as traitors. Hearst’s propaganda proved valuable and Hearst profited handsomely. The cost of the war in human life and turmoil was of no concern to him.

We do not feel that we are radical, or that we engage in Yellow Journalism. Our only profit is to see our community progress in troubled times. We think that is important. We challenge anyone to give one example in any edition or article of this paper, past or present that does not seek to tell the truth and report the facts.

Of course the truth and the facts may be inconvenient to some of our neighbors. Which we assume is why the high energy assaults continue more or less unabated. A couple of years ago, several individuals including Kathy Balus who later became Supervisor of Sardinia, felt that the other local newspapers-i.e. the Arcade Herald and the Springville Journal, were one sided, and not telling the whole stories on a variety of issues. In July of 2006 several of them started this newspaper venture. The issues facing our community then were as complex and mind numbing as they are now. The Standard stood up to try to bring honest dialogue to the residents and businesses of the community. For instance, the Waste Management Landfill Host Agreement was viewed by many as having been negotiated behind closed doors. This bred suspicion which turned to real concern. Many feel that it is not the best deal we could and should have. Rightly or wrongly, lots of people in our community were upset. Some felt that the Arcade Herald was not giving voice to these concerns. Some felt that the Arcade Herald was in fact complicit with a point of view that did not reflect either objective journalism, or open government. Apparently a majority of citizens in Sardinia agreed. After the Standard began publishing, an election was held, and Kathy Balus, an advocate of government transparency was elected Supervisor.

The Sardinia Standard is not, as some proclaim, just a Kathy Balus political vehicle. But we do support much of what she stands for. The Standard is not anti-Waste Management. We recognize that there is value in a positive relationship between the company and the Town. We are keenly aware of Waste Management’s political and business strategies. We know how it uses its influence, some of its hired help, and cash contributions to promote its best interests in Sardinia. WM was the single largest contributor to the Sardinia Republican Committee last year, giving $6,000 according to publicly released disclosure forms. They have a right to do that. And you have a right to know that they did it.

We recognize that there is value to the kind of technology that is utilized as state of the art by WM. We recognize that WM has marketed their commitment to doing the best that it can for the environment. We recognize that a land fill by its very nature can do a lot of damage to local environment. We appreciate that WM has made environment an important issue.

We recognize that the Co-Gen operation, which creates energy out of toxic landfill gasses, is considered a best practice. We also recognize that WM provides jobs. This is good.

We have our criticisms. We do not think that they are radical. We think that it would be better if the people that work there got paid more. One of the best investments in a community is better pay.
We do not think that the WM Host Community Agreement (HCA) with the Town is the best deal that the community could have. We think that it is seriously flawed. The current HCA can be terminated at any time by WM. Other communities have negotiated less radical termination clauses. Some even call for payments to continue for years after closure. The landfill won’t be going anywhere, even when the company moves on. It can’t expand forever, can it? What will be left to the community? Under this HCA, Sardinia and its taxpayers are left holding what could prove to be a very expensive bag for generations.

The Co-Gen agreement calls for payments to the town based on continued landfill deposits. This is incentive for the Town to allow the landfill to expand indefinitely. Town incentives for expansion are in WM’s best interest. We are not sure that it is in the best interests of Sardinia. This is a debatable issue. We could be wrong. But we will hold the concept up to the light of day.

The Co-Gen plant will produce energy for a hundred years after WM closes and no longer is accepting material or paying Sardinia anything. Why don’t we tie payments to the Town to the long term generation of power rather than the potentially short termed filling of the landfill?

We are also very keenly aware of the potentially ethically challenged deals that some of our Town Officials, past and present, attempt to impose. We need an ethics law.

We are very critical of the recent Gernatt zoning variance that was granted by the Sardinia ZBA. We see a possible conflict of interests between the former Chair of the ZBA, Mike Hannon, who is in the gravel business, who is also chair of the local Republican Committee, who is also husband of newly elected Town Councilman Mary Hannon, and the decision to grant a variance by the ZBA. Zoning decisions are at the heart of the Waste Management and Gernatt controversies and lawsuits. We strongly believe that zoning is the provenance of the people of the community and not the private gated playground of the connected and powerful. Is that radical? Or is that the law?

The Standard is a supporter of Kathy Balus and her so far successful attempts to shine a light on government, ethics, and closed door decision making. She advocates public participation, volunteerism, hard work, and recognizes the importance of appropriate and transparent zoning and planning decisions. She believes that Sardinia has a bright future. She knows that we need to improve our infrastructure and tighten up our fiscal and operational policies. This is good for our community. We like her and think her leadership is good for Sardinia.

We think that these critically important issues should be discussed and decided in an atmosphere of informed decision making. We advocate scrutiny, participation, and cooperation. We feel that the Sardinia Standard has been an important vehicle to help inform our community and we thank our friends and supporters.

Tanner Krist Photo

January 22, 2009 

Tanner Krist at the December 2007 Town of Sardinia Christmas Tree lighting ceremony.

January Disclosures Show Sardinia Republican Committee $814.31 in the Hole

January 22, 2009

The New York State Board of Elections requires that political committee's file periodic disclosure statements regarding contributions and expenses.  Just released January 2009 disclosures reveal that the Sardinia Republican Party, Chaired by Mike Hannon, husband of newly elected Town Board Member Mary Hannon had two expenses covered by the filing period-$250 as a "Service Award" for the Little Country Store, and $648.91 as a legal expense owed to Schroder, Joseph, and Associates.  The disclosure statement showed a fund balance of negative -$814.31 for the Sardinia Republican Committee.  The Sardinia Standard thinks that Sardinia Republicans should know about this.

Schroder, Joseph, and Associates are the law firm hired by the Town of Sardinia Zoning Board of Appeals, until last week also Chaired by Mike Hannon. The firm was hired to represent and guide the ZBA during the last two years process in which the ZBA voted to give Gernatt Asphalt a Zoning Variance to mine the long contested Gabel Thomas site on Genesee Road and Rt 16.  The firm has been subsequently retained by the ZBA to defend its actions. The Town of Sardinia is suing the ZBA, on the basis that the ZBA acted improperly in granting the zoning variance.

The Chaffee Sardinia Democratic Committee, and Sardinia 1st January filings indicated "no activity" for the period.

Who Doesnt Love the Power of the Press

Updated February 5, 2009

January 21, 2009

Late last year, just after the November election, some of us took a brief sigh of relief when the Arcade Herald announced boldly that they were sick of printing articles and letters about Sardinia politics. They went on to say that from then on, they would not. We were pleased given the fact that the Arcade Herald is one of two officially designated “official” newspapers of the Town of Sardinia, the other being the Springville Journal. We don’t think that official Town newspapers should engage in political mud slinging.

“Official” means they receive advertising revenue from the town regarding events, meetings, announcements, and public notices that require publication. There is a lot of taxpayer money spent there! We think that at the least these papers could strive for more objectivity in order to serve the interests of the citizens. They should at least check the facts of the many malicious letters to the editor that they publish.

In January, the Arcade Herald sunk into the muck again. We were shocked, just shocked, to discover in the January 8 edition of the Herald, another political attack letter, signed by the acerbic Clint Salmon. Clint is a town gossip and pot stirrer. Maybe the Herald is hard up for copy but he seems to get all of his political smears published.

This time, Salmon attacks the Chaffee Sardinia Fireman’s Award Program which Sardinia residents will get to vote for or against in a special referendum on February 24. He has a right to oppose the program and to speak out. But he should try to get his facts straight. Which he hardly ever does. Doesn’t the Herald at least have an obligation to Sardinia to insure that he does? In this letter he says that “5 of the 44 Chaffee Sardinia Volunteer Fire Company members will be eligible for a lump sum cash payment of $19,000 on their retirement date of January 1, 2010.” He goes on; “Through the years on their individual retirement dates, the other firemen will receive from $20,000 to $64,000 each.” This just is not true. According to the easily reachable Danny Heinemann, President of the fire company,” there are no provisions for a lump sum payment with this plan”. Period. End of story. Salmon, you have misled the community, again.

In the January 15 Arcade Herald, Judy Kessler-Rix editorialized about the Town of Sardinia Town Board, the Fireman’s Service Award, and makes a plea for the Town Board in Sardinia to find a way to get along. That is a good idea and we have advocated it ourselves. We hope that she holds all of the board members accountable, but we have our doubts.

She then accuses the Board of “hoarding” the nearly $3 million fund balance that it currently enjoys and that Balus recently announced. That must be Kessler-Rix’s attempt to get board members to get along and support Supervisor Balus. Balus has been talking almost since the day that she took office about putting the towns fund balance to better use. We hope that Kessler-Rid is genuine and that she will find a way to advocate for Balus’s many ideas to use the money. Balus does not exactly keep her thoughts on this a secret. (See above editorial relative to infrastructure improvements!)

Then Kessler-Rix repeats the misinformation about the lump sum payments that was the rotting meat of Salmons letter. I guess she thinks that the information came from someone that is a “knowledgeable source”. Unfortunately the source isn’t informed and her repeating of his disinformation exposes the Herald’s lack of credibility.

The January 22 edition of the Herald does it again. This time, Salmon’s tag team partner Robert Church gets his letter to the editor published -which restates the lies about the lump sum payments. Wow. Now we have a three week campaign, in the Herald, against the Fire Company’s Award Program. Then, and this is really remarkable that the Herald would print this part- Church goes on to say that anonymous members of the Chaffee Sardinia Fire Company have been “using scare tactics such as: if you don’t vote for this new policy in the upcoming referendum, the fire company may not service you.”

Really? Anonymous members of the fire department? Come on Mr. Church. Your scare tactic is rather transparent-Of course the people of Sardinia are safe. Even if the fire company could determine how someone votes in the privacy of a voting booth it is not credible that a first responder would not respond. Do people really believe your yellow rumors even if they are printed in the Herald or Journal? The men and women of the Chaffee Sardinia Volunteer Fire Department just like members of volunteer fire companies all over this nation are dedicated to public service and the protection of life and property. The mean spirited, vindictive, hate filled, and punitive thinking that you accuse the firemen of in your letter doesn’t exist. Stop spreading hate. And guess what? If you need rescue there is not one person in the fire department that would hesitate for a heartbeat to save you, even if it meant risking their own life. And it doesn’t matter if you vote for the program or against it, you, and we, are safe.

Let’s take this one step further Mr. Church. Name names and stop hiding behind the coward’s cloak of anonimity that you and your ilk use to sell this BS. Tell us who in the fire department said this, if anyone really did.

Kessler-Rix has every right to wax her readers with her earnest appearing opinions. And the Herald has every right to publish whatever letters that they deem appropriate. But she must realize that it is her paper and her editorial choices that have allowed letters from the likes of Salmon and Church and a small but dedicated group of angry and vested political soldiers to pervert any real dialogue or progress in Sardinia.

For instance, despite what you have read in the Herald from Salmon and Church, just this past year-Kathy Balus hasn't raised anyone’s taxes, she hasn't “spent all the money”, she hasn't re-valed any ones property, she isn't using the Supervisors job as a "stepping stone to higher office", she isn't hiding the money and her secretary hasn’t gone to jail for stealing money. The Herald should be ashamed to publish these gossipy and always wrong rumors. This political quackery spreads not cooperation and friendship, but instead division, distrust, hatred, and inanity.

We are sure that the next wave of attacks will be aimed at the Standard. And we are prepared. Maybe Salmon will stand up at the Town Board meeting and give us another spiel about the soundness of his health, the value of his service, and the evil intentions of all those that disagree with him. Maybe the Herald or the Journal will once again publish the home address of the editor of this paper, or a photo of the Sardinia Supervisors license plate in one of the letters to the editor or in one of those misdirecting political ads that Gernnatt Asphalt buys.

Ironically, or cynically, the Herald has stood in the way of the kind of future, development, and infrastructure improvements and progress for Sardinia that Kessler-Rix advocates in her January 15 editorial. By publishing unsubstantiated rumors, untruths, and malicious paid advertisements, this “official” Town of Sardinia newspaper has meddled in the politics of Sardinia. This is bad for local business. This harms our communities. The Arcade Herald diminishes us. It is a crying shame. Certainly Ms. Kessler-Rix and her newspaper has some splainen to do if she expects to help to heal the real deep divisions that they have helped to create in Sardinia.

Tanner Krist Doing Well

Janaury 21, 2009

Tanner Krist and his family returned from Pittsburg's Childrens Hospital the first week of January.  All reports are that both Tanner, and his donor mother are doing well!  Tanner, as you may recall, recieved his second kidney transplant just before Christmas.  Tanner, who is 7 years old, and has been featured on the pages of the Sardinia Standard a few times, was born with kidney disease.  His first kidney, donated by his father Matt, failed after 14 months. The news is so good that it is possible that Tanner will be returning to school in February!  Congratulations Tanner, a lot of people are thinking about you and pulling for you.

January Sardinia Town Board Meeting sets the Stage for an Interesting Year

January 15, 2009

-Councilman Phelps Threatened
-Town Clerk Betsy Marsh Given a Raise
-Dave Malachowski Appointed Chair of the ZBA
-Robert Church, Not Reappointed


Last nights Town Board meeting at the Community Center was an action packed event that provided a number of interesting developments for the Town of Sardinia

The first part of the meeting was the annual re-organizational meeting, in which such things as annual budget, Board committee’s, and policies and procedures are established.

Councilman Heather Phelps began the meeting by announcing that she had very recently received threatening letters regarding her Town Board votes and actions, aimed at both her family and her employment. She provided little detail except to say that they were anonymous and ugly and sent by a gutless person or persons.

This community is used to these kinds of attacks as many elected officials, including Deputy Supervisor Ron Kenyon, Supervisor Kathy Balus, and the editor of this paper have been the targets of anonymous and threatening letters and phone calls. We do believe that there are those out there that pose a real threat to public figures in this community. We are sickened by this, sickened by those that hide them, and hope that in the near future, whoever is responsible will be held fully accountable.

Hannons Demand and Get Raise for Betsy Marsh
The annual reorganizational meeting takes place after the end of the year meeting, which takes place after the towns fiscal budget is adopted, which takes place after a series of meetings and work sessions, including a public hearing, which takes place after the hard work of drafting a budget occurs. This all took place this year beginning several months ago. At this reorganizational meeting, held last night, the very first action of Mary Hannon, was to interrupt the meeting and demand that the budget be reopened, and that Town Clerk Betsy Marsh be given a raise of about $5,000 a year, or an approximately 20% raise, as a stipend to cover medical expenses. Supervisor Balus asked Mary Hannon why she had not brought this up prior to this meeting, for instance during the past 6 months, or prior to the public hearing, when the budget was in process and the public and the whole board had some involvement in thoughtful decionmaking. Ms. Hannon explained that the Sardinia Clerks rate of pay was not commensurate with other clerks in other communities and pointed to a stack of papers she described as “her study.” Balus and others on the Board indicated that they felt that the Clerk should certainly be paid fairly, that Marsh was a good clerk, but that this was a discussion that should have taken place prior to this meeting so that more time could be spent analyzing the figures that Councilman Hannon was presenting. Balus said that she was not aware that a pay raise for Betsy Marsh was an issue and that this last second request is “unusual.” After some discussion, a motion was made to raise Marsh’s rate of pay with Phelps, Hannon, and Montgomery voting in favor, and Uhteg and Balus voting against.

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Montgomery and Friends Still Going After Kenyon
Councilman David Montgomery made a motion to reduce the Deputy Supervisors (former Councilmember Ron Kenyon) annual stipend from $546.00 to $50.00. “He doesn’t do much anyway.” stated Montgomery. Balus explained that the Deputy Supervisor is always on call, handles a couple of Town Board meetings each year, and had to be constantly up to speed on a number of projects and issues. “Ron Kenyon works hard as my Deputy and has a couple of years of experience, and I trust him and I know that he knows the ins and outs of this critical job” said Balus. The motion to reduce Kenyon’s stipend was seconded by Hannon and was defeated by a 3-2 vote.

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Dave Malachowski New Zoning Board of Appeals Chair
Yes you are reading this correctly. Former Town Board member and long time and well known community advocate David Malachowski was appointed to the Town of Sardinia Zoning Board of Appeals, replacing Lewis Markel, whose term recently expired. Mary Hannon, whose husband Mike Hannon has been the controversial Chair of the ZBA raised several objections at one point stating, “I don’t know Dave Malachowski, how can we vote for him?” Supervisor Balus interjected: “He applied for the job and I provided you with his resume.” After a series of exchanges and motions Malachowski was appointed by a vote of 3-2 (Balus, Phelps, Uhteg yea, Montgomery, Hannon, nay)

Next Supervisor Balus stated that the Town Attorney, Tony DiFillipo has confirmed that the Town Board has the job of “appointing the ZBA Chair” and that she was recommending that Dave Malachowski be appointed as the Chair, replacing Mike Hannon. Mary Hannon objected vigorously and a series of exchanges and motions took placed characterized by Mary Hannon and Dave Montgomery exchanging glances and nods with Mike Hannon, who is also the Chair of the Sardinia Republican Committee. “It seems like you may have a conflict of interest with this vote” stated Supervisor Balus to Mary Hannon at one point during the exchanges. A vote was called for and Dave Malachowski was appointed new chair of the ZBA by the same 3-2 vote that confirmed him as a member.

Mary Hannon wanted to re-appoint Robert Church to the Town of Sardinia Planning Board and made a motion to do so that was defeated 3-2. Hannon and Montegomery voted to re-appoint while Balus, Uhteg, and Phelps voted no.

There were a lot of other issues and actions taken at last nights Board meeting, but you will have to ask someone that was there, or wait until the next issue of the Standard comes out to get the details. If you get a chance, make sure to attend the next Town Board meeting-Wednesday Feb 11, 730pm

Buy Local

January 5, 2009

The global economic shakeup is coming to a town near you. The Wall Street Ponzi schemes, the enormous mismanagement of our industrial base, the blindfolds that government has worn while politicians and bureaucrats hold out tin cups to the thieves all have serious local consequences. The foxes guarding the henhouses, you should have no doubt, have put us in the crosshairs.

The recession, and probably an onrushing depression, is here. Despite the fact that WNY has witnessed tremendous job losses for almost a generation, it is going to get worse. Government and the private sector are scrambling to keep from drowning in a sea of red ink. Whether or not NYS gets a federal bailout as Governor Paterson has requested will not stop the fact that things are going to be much different for quite a while. We don’t want to be overly pessimistic, but it doesn’t look good. Today, as we try to celebrate the New Year, we are witnessing many of our local important businesses struggling to stay alive. Some are loosing that battle.

But there is hope. As we have said frequently on these pages, the single most important way to guarantee a sustainable future is to understand, plan for, and invest in local economy. Money that stays local, instead of being extracted and sent into the vast black hole of global instability that has little need or concern for local quality of life, will make us stronger. Local economic strength is the backbone of our security as a region and a nation. A local economy will improve our quality of life. A strong local economy is the underpinning of planning for and investing in a future that works.

You can contribute by spending when you can on local business. These are important investments in our areas future. Spend your dollars wisely at local merchants, restaurants, shops, and farm markets. Seek out locally produced and delivered goods and services. This year, as we all struggle economically, it may be a smart choice to vacation locally. We have some of the best outdoor opportunities in the nation. Even as we seek to market these venues to the outside world, we can help to sustain ourselves by taking advantage of these terrific resources. Our economic choices are actions that have consequences. A dollar spent on a local business has a much better chance of continuing to circulate in the local economy. That dollar will support local jobs, help to pay local taxes, help pay local mortgages, help support local schools and hospitals, help contribute to local infrastructure improvements. Simply put, local dollars help improve quality of life. Our choices affect our security and future.

Support the Fireman Award Program at the February 24 referendum

January 5, 2009
Sardinia Town Councilmember Norm Uhteg said it just right when he responded to new Councilman Dave Montgomery at the December 30 end of the year Town Board meeting. Montgomery had been arguing against the Board voting to send the proposed Fireman Service Award Program to the public for a vote on February 24. “I would rather see this money go back to the taxpayer” he said. Uhteg looked Montgomery in the eye and said emphatically, “This money is going back to the taxpayer”

Many of us realize, and we at the Standard are sure that Montgomery, himself a volunteer fireman in Arcade, that the services of the Chaffee Sardinia Volunteer Fire Company are some of the most critical services that a community has. Volunteer Fireman work on call, all hours, risk their lives, sacrifice family time, and save lives, property, and promote a safe community. Sadly in this day and age, volunteerism, especially in a rigorous and time consuming job such as a volunteer fireman, is on the wane. The future can take on a bleak look. Sardinia is down to 44 volunteers, and not many young people are stepping up to the plate. The Service Award Program, authorized by NYS, will provide some pension benefits to fire company volunteers that meet certain criteria including years of service. It won’t be much, and it won’t cost the Town much. It will provide incentives to existing fireman to remain as volunteers. Hopefully it will help to recruit new volunteers. Increased membership is a solid goal of the program. More members will not cost the town much money. Considering the benefits that Town residents and businesses receive from the life and property saving services rendered by the Chaffee-Sardinia Volunteer Fire Company we believe that this is an important investment that will pay dividends for years to come. After over a year of review and consideration the Town Board has decided that we can afford it, and we agree. We urge you will come out and vote in favor of this important benefits package.

New Additions To the Town Board in Sardinia

January 5, 2009

The final election results from the November 2008 election were not available at the time that the Standard went to press in December. They are now and we would like to congratulate Mary Hannon who will fill the one year unexpired term of resigned councilman Matt Mumbaugh, and David Montgomery who will fill the unexpired term of the late Ann Bean. Montgomery was seated at the regular Town Board meeting of December 8, just after the election was officially certified. Hannon, who is faced with running for reelection next November, took office on January 1.

The year 2008 was a very productive year for the Town Board as all members found ways to work together. We hope that the new members can find ways to continue this approach. Both Hannon and Montgomery have indicated publically that they wish to do this. The new Town Board, which consists of Supervisor Balus, Norm Uhteg, Heather Phelps, Montgomery, and Hannon, has a lot of work ahead of it. Fortunately, Balus, Phelps, and Uhteg, all strong minded, independent, smart, and effective leaders, have served Sardinia magnificently with good ideas and by finding ways to work together.

Unfortunately, the election campaign was marred once again by what can only be called rancid political tricks and smears. As many of our readers know, anonymous letters were circulated throughout the town, -the so called “Taxpayer Newsletters” which spread deceit and untruths on behalf of Hannon and Montgomery. In addition there was a last minute letter that was designed to look as if it came from Town Supervisor Balus. That letter portrayed her in an unflattering and untruthful way. The letter was reminiscent of one sent in a prior election purporting to come from Town Board Candidate Bob Kaiser. That letter, which like the Balus letter did not come from the identified source, portrayed him in an ugly light. He ended up loosing the election by a handful of votes. These letters are shameful, disgusting, and in our opinion, harmful to the community. Political smears should not be tolerated at any level. Lies do not lead to good decision making or effective leadership. Progress and accomplishment is at stake. But they seem to have worked in getting candidates elected. This does not bode well. The source of these letters has not been revealed publically, but we are sure that those behind them will eventually be exposed.

Leadership is Important

January 5, 2009
It appears to us that Sardinia Town Supervisor Kathy Balus has been especially graceful in the aftermath of the Town Board election in which the two candidates that she endorsed, Ron Kenyon and Chuck Tobin, lost. She has genuinely welcomed the two new Town Board members and has worked hard to make sure that they are up to speed on issues and have materials and information that they need and or request in order to best serve the residents and voters of the Town of Sardinia. Given the nasty tone of the election campaign and the scathing personal attacks that characterized Montgomery and Hanno’s campaigns, it may come as a surprise to some that Balus can be so professionally level headed and personally giving. But those that know her are not surprised. Her personal confidence and genuine concern for the interests of the people of Sardinia combined with her professional approach to work and governance is a Balus trademark. She serves and leads the Town well at a very difficult time.

Clearly Supervisor Balus has not worked in a vacuum. The character of other Town Board members is consequential. That is a given. And so is the basic fact that leadership is important. Balus is the right leader at the right time for Sardinia.

One of Balus’s best traits is her ability to work with others and to inspire leadership and participation. Her willingness and openness with the Town Board has been reciprocated in spades. She, and we the taxpayers and voters have been rewarded with Town Board member’s investment in diligence, preparation, and work sessions. This commitment has generated both a professional attitude and approach to often complex and demanding issues.

Since taking office she has worked hard to ensure that all voices on the Town Board and that residents voices are heard. She has worked hard to make sure that decision-making takes place, not in the back rooms, but in the light of public scrutiny and participation. Her fiscal approach is sound and accountable. She has worked to make sure that the bookkeeping and record keeping of the town’s finances are conducted professionally, above board, and are open and available to the public. She responded promptly to an audit of town records by NYS, and proposed and implemented remedies to problems identified. She initiated an audit of Waste Management payments made to the Town under the Host Community Agreement which has exposed some payment mistakes by WM. This has saved the town money and created an important precedent regarding accountability. Waste Management, to its credit, has been cooperative and responsive. She has worked to bring better summer youth and recreational programs with responsible staffing and scheduling; worked to restore and repair essential public resources including the Town Parks, and the Old Town Hall; worked to modernize the phone and computer systems used by Sardinia Town officials and the Sardinia Courts; worked to find new funding to plan and build sidewalks in Chaffee and with the County to insure paving and infrastructure improvements on County roads. She has worked to upgrade the Town pool facilities in Veterans Park; conserve public records and other documents that have been deteriorating in poor conditions in the basement of the Community Center. She has worked to bring events to residents including Labor Day in the Park, Earth Day, Summer Concerts, and to make events such as the Senior Flu Clinic non political. (This year it was held after the election, not before). She works hard to make sure that the public’s interests are represented in important issues such as Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals membership, policies, and initiatives. She has honed in like a laser beam on pushing public scrutiny and day light on approaches to new water district concepts, Planning Board funding and disbursements, and the granting of zoning variances for such projects as the Gernatt Gravel Mine in the center of the RT 16 corridor. She has worked with organizations such as the Sardinia Historical Society, the American Legion, and the Chaffee Sardinia Volunteer Fire Department to recruit membership, strengthen programs, and help chart a proactive course for the future. She has made new hires, new appointments, promoted volunteerism, and re-appointed a long dormant ethics panel for the Town.

Kathy Balus is an unusual public servant. She lives the job of Supervisor 24/7. This means a good deal of personal sacrifice. She often struggles to balance the needs and love of family with the relentless exactness of leadership. She doesn’t work for the money, doesn’t demand power. She works for the betterment of the community, and in this she is tireless and driven. She listens to people. She acts. She has fulfilled her original campaign pledges to bring new ethical and professional standards to Sardinia government and to expose decision making to the candle of public scrutiny. She has made internal, infrastructure and public space improvements. And she has diligently safeguarded the Town bank accounts. Because of her, and because of the relationships that she has crafted, Sardinia a better place to work, to invest, and to live. Because of Balus, Sardinia has an opportunity for a better future. She has demonstrated that she has the political will and personal graciousness to continue to make good things happen.

Chaffee Sardinia Volunteer Fire Responds as Part of Mutual Aid Fire