If elected Berne supervisor. I will act on the people’s will, not my own

To the Editor:

The people of Berne need to have their voices heard.

As many are aware, the Rockefeller Institute of Government has issued a draft proposal for The Albany County-Wide Shared Services & Property Tax Savings Plan. The plan has many great ideas for tax savings and shared services among the towns of Albany County and Albany County, many of which the Berne Highway Department already participates in.

One example of superior shared service that comes to mind was from Memorial Day 2016, when a centralized flash flood overflowed the bridge at the corner of Bradt Hollow and Bridge Road in West Berne. Culverts were ripped up and sent downstream. Bradt Hollow was impassable from top to bottom.

Bradt Hollow was not alone but this flooding was very localized to this part of town. Other parts of Berne were not even aware of the flash flooding on the west side. However small and localized the flash flood, it was truly overwhelming for any town department.

Not for Randy Bashwinger, the current Berne highway superintendent. He was not fazed. In the next couple of days, he had crews from Knox, Westerlo, Rensselaerville, Gallupville, and Middleburgh all helping to restore the roads and return normalcy to the residents who were flooded.

It was curious at the time we were getting shared services from all these towns and towns from Schoharie County, but not once was Albany County over to offer assistance.

The Albany County-Wide Shared Services & Property Tax Savings Plan calls for consolidation of the Albany County and Berne departments of public works. It is important to note that only the Berne supervisor has seen consolidation as a “good option” for the people.

My question is, without asking the people, how can our supervisor know what the people want? How can he make an informed decision without speaking to the highway superintendent or asking for town input at the monthly town board meetings?

I am Sean S. Lyons and am running for the opportunity and honor to be the town of Berne supervisor in the 2017 elections. I have only one agenda: Make the people fully aware of any and all town dealings, then act on their will, not my own. All I ask for in town government is to give the people every opportunity to voice their opinion and work for the people. I will!

The next public hearing on The Albany County-Wide Shared Services & Property Tax Savings Plan will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 29, at 5:30 p.m. at the Bethlehem Town Hall.

The Berne Town Board meets the second Wednesday of each month, at 7:30 p.m. at the Berne Town Hall.

God bless America.

Sean S. Lyons

Berne

Editor’s note: Sean S. Lyons lives on Bradt Hollow Road. He is running for Berne supervisor on the Republican line. Also running on the Republican line is Berne High Superintendent Randy Bashwinger.

He told The Enterprise that the county did not help with the Bradt Road flooding, but he also said he had not asked the Albany County as he had the departments that helped. He said the county has helped on other Berne projects.

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