To the Editor:

Change. Growth. Success. These are three things I have noticed since Supervisor Vasilios Lefkaditis took over only a few short months ago. These are the three things that Knox has not seen in the past several years under the previous administration.

I want to thank the supervisor for seeking out the problems in our community and actively seeking ways to correct them. I want to thank him for being loyal to the taxpayers. He has discovered new ways to save money and still keep the services we need.

Before him, it was always a sweep-it-under-the-rug type of policy where nothing changed, nothing was resolved, and the citizens knew next to nothing. There was hardly any debate on the issues and things always happened one way.

With Vas, I know how he feels about issues and what he wants to accomplish. He’s passionate about Knox and he is a man with a plan and I want my other elected officials to be just as vocal.

Sure, some people may not like his "brash" style of governance, but you must admit, it has gotten this town to change and grow in such a short time. We have expanded senior services, made public WiFi available to all, and the town park is finally being revitalized! We even had a fall festival that was a huge success and the town even made a small profit!

We have a more open and honest government through an updated and current website, to a facilities walk-through in January that was very revealing to the public. We finally learned what and where the problems were and Vas led the charge to immediately fix them.

We now also have a community-oriented newsletter that was finally brought to fruition, thanks to the supervisor, to enhance the communication between the town and citizens. Yet, we have the town board whining and complaining about their names not being included on the opening statement because it lacks “unity.” It does not lack “unity” because it is just not necessary.

I’ve done my research and I found that many towns in New York including Oyster Bay, Enfield, Newfane, Deerfield, Camillus, and Bethlehem among many others, sign newsletters from the supervisor. It shows the town that the supervisor, the head of government is in charge and informing everyone of what is happening. He is the one the citizens will most likely see and know the most.

In a college alumni magazine, isn’t it the president that signs a welcome message, not the board of trustees? In a union trade magazine, isn’t it the union president signing the welcome message and not the local leaders? I mean, how come the board did not have a problem with the previous supervisor’s name on the town website?

Running a town is tough, although some might not think so, and sometimes these issues cause tension and things to be said that were maybe just on impulse. It happens, we are all human, but don’t take anything to heart. We need to look past it and see the bigger picture.

Vas is leading the change for the greater good of this town and its citizens, who ultimately elected him last year. This way, when I return, Knox won’t just be some town you drive right past but a destination or place to call home.

When I learned of the new Unify Knox Party created, I came to the conclusion that you should not need a new political party to be able to work together with others. At the end of the day, every issue is going to have two sides, and it won't take long for the "unified" to have to pick a side. After all, the political party is just a label with no substance at all.

Knox is a very tight-knit community and, in a way, we are unified together, to make this town thrive. A political party label does not create compromise and unity but the character of the individual does. That is what I look for, not a label.

I want more people like Supervisor Lefkaditis in Knox. I want them because they are passionate about our town and don't just sit down and do what others tell them. They must be passionate and ready to help lead the charge for change. We need leaders who take charge of problems and don't just talk about correcting them, but show results. We have seen results thus far and I'm excited to see what's to come!

Lastly, I hope that my fellow citizens elect Ken Saddlemire to the town board come November. Ken is a successful farmer, life-long citizen and has been around long enough to see the problems and understand the complexity of them. He has the character to work together with everyone that I discussed earlier. He wants a brighter future for all as well.  

Josh VonHaugg

Knox

Editor’s note: Josh VonHaugg, a Knox native, is currently a senior at Hilbert College in western New York.