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MEET THE CANDIDATES
R, TF As a longtime local resident and business leader, I am concerned about the state of Erie County. We have a dysfunctional county government that has continuously resisted real reform and failed to create economic opportunity for our families. We are at a crossroads, and we need a bold leader with a vision for a brighter, better Erie County. I have that vision, and that is why I am running for Erie County executive. It is time for a new approach to county government, one that does not look to the past for answers, but instead looks to the future. We need a future that puts taxpayers first, a future when our community is growing and vibrant and a future with real opportunities for our children and grandchildren. That is the future we can achieve with the right leadership in Erie County government. The citizens of Erie County will have a clear choice to make this November - a choice between a chief executive or a chief politician. As a private-sector businessman with a proven record of turning troubled companies into successful enterprises, I am running to become our chief executive. To date, I have helped rebuild a dozen companies, ranging from low-tech, to high-tech, to biotech. As a result of bold, decisive action, I have helped save or create more than 500 jobs right here in Western New York.
I hold a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from North Carolina State University and a master's degree in business administration from the University of Alabama. I live in Clarence with my wife, Mary, and our two children, Caitlin and Cameron. James P. Keane County Executive D, C, WF I am running for county executive because I can fix what has been broken. With Dennis Gorski, I successfully ran a trusted government as the operations manager in county government. We cut the size but not the services offered to county taxpayers. In 1999, we had the smallest workforce since 1965 when Lyndon Johnson was president.
In 2001, I was asked by Sen. Hillary Clinton to run her Western New York office for four years and left to manage Brian Higgins' run for Congress because I saw what many now see, he is a rock star leader for us. As county executive, I will bring us back to fiscal stability. I will build on the success of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Corridor, work to expand the presence of the University at Buffalo in Buffalo and help to create good-paying jobs so our children may stay here. Using my Erie SMART program and performance based budgeting, I will track and cut wasteful spending to restore important government services. Restoring the bed tax, we will promote cultural tourism with our amazing arts and cultural attractions.
Kathy C. Hochul Erie County Clerk D, I, C, WF I am honored to serve as your Erie County clerk. Working as first deputy county clerk for more than four years, I acquired extensive experience running the operations and have the qualifications necessary to continue serving you. Now as county clerk, I've had the opportunity to initiate many innovations to expand services while cutting the cost of government. For example, salaries for the clerk's personal staff are lower than they were a year ago. I'm proud that the clerk's office is already a well-run business operation. Some of my accomplishments since taking office six months ago: launched electronic filing for lawsuits, increasing efficiency for staff and customers; established an auto bureau customer service call center; proposed saving $1 million by relocating the downtown auto bureau into government space; launched plan to bring back $1.2 million in registration revenues from Albany; and now for the first time, house closings can occur outside the county clerk's office, saving considerable time for all parties involved.
I am also a strong advocate for this community, fighting the governor's plan to issue drivers' licenses to illegal immigrants. No illegal immigrant will be seeking licenses from our office, knowing I will call law enforcement. I received my bachelor's degree from Syracuse University and my law degree from Catholic University in Washington, D.C. I've been happily married for 23 years and have two teenagers. Bill O'Loughlin Erie County Clerk R, TF With more than 40 years of experience in the financial industry, I have been the resident manager of the O'Loughlin Financial Group. Extensive financial expertise has made me a leading commentator for WIVB-TV, WGRZ-TV, and WKBW-TV, as well as the headliner on WBEN Radio's "The Money Show." An Amherst town councilman, I was also chairman of the Erie County IDA.
I am a former U.S. Army captain, honorably discharged. I also hold a bachelor's degree from St. Bonaventure University. My goals: • I will provide a new, aggressive, business-minded approach to running the clerk's office. • I will eliminate political patronage, and I will eliminate long lines at the auto bureaus. • I will provide leadership on the important issues, including preventing illegal aliens from obtaining driver's licenses. I am seeking your vote because: • I want to serve the public and make a difference in the community I love and improve the quality of life here.
• I want to be accountable to you, and only you, the taxpayer. Alan Bedenko 4th District D My name is Alan Bedenko. I live in Clarence Center with my wife, Maryl, and two daughters, Madeleine and Mia. I grew up downstate, but in 2001 we decided to return to Maryl's native Western New York. I received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Boston University in 1990 and my juris doctor's degree from Pace University School of Law in 1994. Since then, I've practiced law in Massachusetts and New York. I am an insurance defense litigation lawyer in downtown Buffalo. I have authored Buffalopundit.com and was president of a nonprofit think tank called the WNY Coalition for Progress. For the past two years, I spearheaded the volunteer effort to revive "Santa's Park," which had been axed during the budget crisis.
I'll work with the control board and new county executive to implement performance-based budgeting, together with a computerized monitoring program, so we can focus on efficiency. I'll propose implementing a hiring system for county workers based solely on merit, rather than patronage. We're all in this together - Republicans, Democrats and independents. With your support, we can work together in a way that minimizes partisanship and parochialism and maximizes the common goals of our community. That is why I ask for your vote - so we can return Erie County to the greatness it once was and we know it can still be. Michael H. Ranzenhofer 4th District R, I, C I am the Erie County legislator for the 4th District, representing Clarence, Newstead, Amherst and Cheektowaga, and a partner in the law firm of Friedman & Ranzenhofer PC.
My top priorities are to bring fiscal discipline to county government and stabilize Erie County's finances by reducing spending and removing burdensome regulations, which drive up costs. The biggest challenge facing Erie County is the need to restructure employee compensation by having employees pay a portion of their health insurance and matching vacation and holiday schedules to the business world. My goals for the next term are to reduce county spending, hold the line on property taxes, rescind laws that increase the cost of doing business such as project labor agreements and the apprenticeship law, phase out county operations that can be performed by private companies, and consolidate the Erie County Medical Center into one of the private health systems.
Political Parties: R=Republican, Int = Integrity Party, TF = Taxpayers First, D=Democrat, I=Independence, C=Conservative, WF=Working Families Tom Loughran 14th District D, I, C, WF I am running for re-election to continue my efforts to restore fiscal responsibility to Erie County government. The present county administration has lost the confidence of county taxpayers and will be retired Dec. 31. It is clear that Erie County government must be put on a "debt diet" and future budgets must reflect the reality of limited revenues. I look forward to working with a new county executive and a fresh and energetic administration committed to achieving these goals.
I remain committed to providing strong oversight to the matters that come before the County Legislature. As chairman of the Energy and Environment Committee, I exposed a flawed contract letting process that has resulted in preventing the waste of thousands of county tax dollars. Further, I will continue to stand steadfast in opposing wasteful patronage and will continue to block attempts to revive the "friends and family plan." I gradated from Williamsville South High School and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University at Buffalo. I am a lifelong resident of Erie County and former member of the Amherst Planning Board and Amherst Town Board. I am owner and operator of Loughran's Bar and Restaurant, Amherst.
R When deciding to run for Erie County legislator, I felt a strong sense of duty to serving the community in which I have lived my entire life. I have watched so many of my generation leave this area unwillingly because of the lack of opportunities this area provides. My family moved here more than half a century ago because of the economic opportunities it once possessed. I believe that it is now my generation's duty to accept the mantle of responsibility to lead us into a prosperous next half-century. We are at a defining moment in this country's history. This country can no longer rely on quick fixes and short-term planning that threaten our long-term stability. As a community, we are hardworking, intelligent people who, with the proper leadership, could rise again. The current leadership has done little more than point out what is wrong with the area without providing us any inspiration to put us on a direction toward growth. I personally believe that this country's brightest days lie in its future, not in its past. It is a future overflowing with opportunities, job growth, culture, arts, tourism and a restored sense of pride. This optimism can only be achieved with the election of officials who place the interest of this community before their own ambitions. I have fought to stay in Western New York because of this belief and look forward to serving in the Erie County Legislature with pride and a strong work ethic.
Edward Rath III 15th District R, I, C I was born and raised in Williamsville. I returned to Williamsville with my wife, Amy, to raise our three daughters. In college I had two summer government internships: 1987 I worked for Rep. Jack Kemp and 1989 I interned for Assemblyman Tom Reynolds. I began working in Western New York in 1992 for a small natural gas marketing company. In 1996 I was hired by Pacific Gas & Electric in Chicago as an industrial salesman. I was hired by Proliance Energy in 1999 to oversee the Cleveland office sales effort. NOCO Energy Corp. brought me back home in 2003; I currently work as a senior energy consultant in the fuels division at NOCO.
I attended Williamsville Public Schools, Nichols School, Syracuse University and Canisius College. I will work hard to accomplish four goals for the improvement of Erie County Government: • Find creative ways to reduce the tax burden. • The professional management of county government through the hiring of a county manager and the implementation of the voter-approved charter changes • New economic development approaches that will create and retain jobs. • Advocate for Amherst through proper library funding, improved service delivery and infrastructure funding.
Cheryl Whitehead 15th District D I am seeking your vote because I feel that this area is rich with potential and with some new ideas and policies, we can help our area become the vibrant cultural, business and manufacturing center that it once was. We need to nurture our business community to help it thrive and to encourage new business to locate here, so that young people will return and find suitable employment. I also feel strongly that one of our greatest assets are the cultural organizations, and they need to be strongly supported. I was born in Buffalo and raised in Amherst with my parents and brother. I am a graduate of Canisius College, Fashion Institute of Technology and Christ the King Seminary. I hold degrees and certification in business, religious studies, counseling and education. I am a retired elementary, middle and business college teacher. Concurrent to my teaching career, I managed several retail businesses. I am the author of "Grace Places," which is a motivational/ inspirational book about caregiving for the terminally ill.
Susan Jaros Town Clerk R Since the merger of the offices of tax receiver and town clerk in 1997, I have used cross-training of personnel and new technology to effect a 32 percent reduction in my staff payroll and operating budgets, including inflation. This past year, I fought for and won a reversal of the Town Board's decision to employ a bank to collect town and school taxes, resulting in increasing our investment income to the town. Additionally, I installed new equipment at no cost to the town to process checks immediately, also increasing the interest received on the town's bank deposits.
I instituted the use of online software, which permits tax payments to be charged to a credit card. I, along with 40 percent of my staff, am a notary public to expedite our services. To minimize the risks of conventional record storage, I digitized all vital statistics records for backup and security. This software is used internally by my office to speed our records access while still being protected from disclosure by privacy laws. I hold a Bachelor of Science degree from Buffalo State College. I am currently serving as first vice president of the New York Association of Tax Receivers and this year received the Clerk of the Year award from the Erie County Town Clerk's Association. Jeff Marion Town Clerk D, C I am an attorney who has been in practice since 1995. I represent people who are injured and disabled. I have had my own office on Beresford Court in Williamsville since 2003. Being a sole practitioner, I pride myself on client services. No matter the size of the case, all clients are treated like they are "A-list" clients. It is my hope to transfer that level of service to the town clerk's office.
While my opponent has made some technological changes, they have not been enough to keep up with the times. I believe that we can allow residents to apply for licenses online, and make online payment available for more than payment of property taxes. We shouldn't be wasting tens of thousands of dollars on microfilm when we can easily scan forms into computers. The Erie County clerk has been using this technology since the late 1990s; why aren't we? If we can make better use of technology, we will save residents time and money.
Political Parties: R=Republican, Int = Integrity Party, TF = Taxpayers First, D=Democrat, I=Independence, C=Conservative, WF=Working Families Robert Anderson Highway Supt. R, I, C, WF I am the incumbent superintendent of highways, completing my first term. I am currently endorsed by the Republican, Conservative, Independence and Working Families parties; the Amherst Fire Chiefs Association; the Amherst Police Club; the New York State Police Club; the Amherst Highway Employees Association; the Civil Service Employees Association; and the Amherst Volunteer Firefighters United. I was appointed by the Amherst Town Board as superintendent of highways in May 2003. I won the election for the permanent position in November of the following year. I came to this position at a time when the highway department was in the midst of major lawsuits and grand jury indictments, as well as internal labor strife and low employee morale.
I led Amherst in the recovery from one of its largest and most devastating storms, which started on Oct. 12, 2006. These recovery methods were heralded as prompt and cost-effective. More than one million cubic yards of damaged material was removed from our streets in 60 days. I also held three tree seminars for residents to explain our policy to evaluate trees and identify ones that need trimming. My Tree Advisory Committee has been very valuable in making these assessments. The most valuable asset I have brought to the position has been fostered by 29 years of previous experience, which allows a hands-on management approach. I know what jobs need to be done, when to do them and who can do the job.
D I am a lifelong resident of Amherst. My father owned and operated a commercial landscaping business, and from a young age I learned how to plant trees and maintain green space. I attended Bishop Neumann High School and Bryant and Stratton School of Business. I am a past chairman of the Variety Club Telethon and continue to serve on the board. I have two sons. I am proud to say my youngest son has been a volunteer fireman for Eggertsville for 15 years. I have been employed by the Highway Department for the past 18 years. I started as a laborer and worked my way up through the ranks and in 1997 became the first female crew chief in Highway Department history. I believe that my experience and my knowledge of the Highway Department makes me uniquely qualified to be the next Superintendent of Highways. As we look into the future, we cannot settle for government as usual. There is no reason why we cannot develop a realistic equipment replacement plan and tree replacement plan and institute tighter budget controls. I will work hard to eliminate politics and patronage from the Highway Department. I will establish a new era of cooperation, accountability and teamwork between the Highway Department, Town Board and supervisor. I have a great love for the Town of Amherst. I feel that my integrity, work ethic and love for this community makes me the best candidate for Highway Superintendent. I would appreciate your vote on Tuesday, Nov. 6. Robert Foladare Town Board D, I My name is Robert Foladare, and I am running for Amherst Town Board on the Democratic and Independence party lines. I have been married for 27 years and have two children, Joshua, 19, a junior at Boston University, and Aaron, 15, a sophomore at Sweet Home High School. I am a lifelong resident of Amherst. Presently, I am vice president of the Willow Ridge Civic Association and president and coach of the Parkview Basketball League. Previously, I was president and coach of the Sweet Home Junior Football and Cheerleading organization. My experience consists of 27 years in sales and sales management with various companies. After being involved with multiple neighborhood and youth activity issues involving the Town of Amherst, I became painfully aware of the dysfunction overtaking our town and the various boards that oversee our town government. This has caused me, a nonpolitical person, to get involved. This is to bring common sense and integrity to our Town Board. I advocate homeowner rights. I want to increase low-cost youth services by starting a Police Athletic League sports program that will involve our officers with at-risk children and other children in the community. I support redevelopment of older areas through incentive programs. I believe through federal grant moneys ($200 million goes unclaimed every year), we can help alleviate the sinking homes problems. I also believe that Amherst can increase green space without using taxpayer dollars. William L. Kindel Town Board C, WF There are three reasons I am seeking re-election to the Amherst Town Board. One, to keep Amherst safe. I have been a proponent and will be a leading advocate for the full funding of the Amherst Police Department and our volunteer fire service. Two, to keep Amherst green. I have led the way in saving green space such as the Great Baehre Swamp, 585 acres; Nature View Park, 1,250 acres; and the farmland protection program, 1,000 acres. This year I intend to campaign for passage of a $12 million bond resolution to acquire open space in northeast Amherst as well as in urban green areas in Williamsville, Eggertsville, Snyder and Willow Ridge. Three, to provide for a fair and equitable assessment process that is only available if the Town of Amherst will return to the 100 percent full value. I have been married to my wife, Maureen, for 51 years. We have three children and five grandchildren. I have been a resident of Amherst for more than 40 years. I have a degree in business administration from the University at Buffalo. My community activities include being a co-founder and first vice chairman of the Williamsville Southeast Amherst Homeowners Association, a former Cubmaster and Scoutmaster, serving for three years on the Amherst Planning Board and being a current director of the Center for Handicapped Children. Mark Manna Town Board D, C, WF My wife Cynthia, our daughter Madison and I enjoy living in Amherst. We love this area and even convinced my mother, aunt and two brothers to move here. We are a close-knit family, which is very important to me. Amherst is an amazing place to live and maintains the charm of a small town with beautiful waterways and nature's gift of green space. The town has excellent parks and great school systems. These are just a few of the qualities which draw people to live here. I will do everything possible to keep it this way. Amherst has a well-honored police force as well as an outstanding fire department. Both the police and fire departments have endorsed me. This is a privilege I regard very highly. I have vast experience working with a $300 million pension fund for senior citizens. That experience has taught me to be accountable for every cent of their pension fund. Another important part of my job is contract negotiations and administration. Both of these are skills I can transfer to serving on our Town Board. People who attend Town Board meetings or watch them on TV, clearly see there is conflict between all the council members. This hostile atmosphere produces chaos and errors in town business. We can see this in the recent assessment and budget problems. My private sector skills and proven track record of working with groups to solve problems are skills I will bring to the Amherst Town Council. It's what our town needs. Guy Marlette Town Board R, C I want to express my sincere appreciation for you taking the time to read this profile, and being interested in the future of our town. I have been a resident of Snyder for more than 20 years. I have a degree in data processing, as well as more than 40 professional certifications, including certifications as a network instructor and network engineer. I have been extremely involved in our community. I am president of the Amherst Youth Foundation and president of Amherst Drug Court Foundation, providing support funding for programs for youth and families in our town. I have also been very active in other areas of the community; religious education instructor at Christ the King and committee member or chair for various groups including Gateway Longview, Upstage NY, and Town of Amherst citizen committees. I have never received a stipend or paycheck for any community work I've done. I am also a successful businessman in the technology sector. The company is service-driven, focusing on our customers and employees and providing a high level of service in a cost-effective manner. I believe that my professional business skills, numerous volunteer activities and my engagement within the community make me an excellent candidate for the Amherst Town Board. I will find and bring forward cost-saving measures that will not impact the delivery of services. We need to invest in technology which will provide us the ability to better monitor our growing budget, keeping an eye on the bottom line. I am respectfully asking for your support and vote. Together we can make a difference. Political Parties: R=Republican, Int = Integrity Party, TF = Taxpayers First, D=Democrat, I=Independence, C=Conservative, WF=Working Families Jerry Schad Town Board D, I, WF My wife, Priscilla, and I have one daughter, five sons and three grandchildren. I am a 31-year resident of Amherst. In 2005, I retired from a 35-year career with Buffalo's oldest law firm, Hodgson Russ LLP. As a trial and municipal lawyer, I know town legal issues well. I'm endorsed by the Democratic, Independence and Working Families Parties and the Sierra Club. As a member of Amherst's Citizens Review Commission, I see that there are areas in our town operations where waste exists and fiscal controls are weak. My platform focuses on returning Amherst government to the fundamentals of sound government. My goals, if elected, include: • Engaging in sound fiscal practices. That includes realistic budgets and not raiding the town's funds reserves, while government spending increases. • Using annual internal audits by a qualified accounting firm to review the town's fiscal practices to uncover, then eliminate, waste. • Establishing a townwide system of purchase ordering linked to the comptroller's office so that timely budget monitoring and forecasting can occur. • Protecting green space with a funded plan - I support the $12 million bond authorization on the ballot. • Engaging the town government in proactive conservation practices. • Making the maintenance and upgrading of Amherst's failing infrastructure a high priority to reduce flooding. • I'll make decisions based on facts, reason, professionalism and a home values and residents first approach. Barry Weinstein Town Board R Having served in the County Legislature these last 10 years and the Williamsville School Board for 14 years prior, I have a lot of experience that could be used in dealing with both people and issues on behalf of town residents. The decision to seek election to the Town Board rather than re-election to the County Legislature is based upon the hope that some of my common sense ideas could be implemented in a smaller government. My hope for the Town of Amherst includes smaller, less expensive government and lower taxes. Maintaining town services in a more cost efficient manner is very realistic. My second goal is improving honesty and transparency in government along with improving cooperation and civility on the Town Board. Smart growth by avoiding development where flooding, sinking homes and traffic congestion exist is my third goal. Fourth is revitalization of older neighborhoods and commercial corridors. Fifth, university, town and business collaboration would be great for transferring technology, creating new businesses, creating new jobs and growing our economy. Finally, fair assessments are imperative. My professional experience includes, Family Medicine Practice on Maple Road from 1974 to present. I was a county legislator from 1998 to the present and am co-chair of the Niagara Erie Regional Coalition, formerly Erie Niagara Regional Partnership. I am also a current member of the Board of Health. Roy Wixson Town Board R I am a recently retired attorney, businessman and former managing director of a bank. I am running for the Town Board to try to stop the conflict and confusion in its deliberations. Before moving to Amherst 27 years ago, I served for seven years as a town justice. In each case that came before me, I educated myself on the facts, listened to the parties and rendered my decision after deliberation. Amherst's tax levy increased 32 percent in the 2002 to 2006 budgets. That is 295 percent faster than the rate of inflation. Our Town Board lets this happen. Clearly, our town needs a fiscal conservative who is trained to get the facts and talk with both residents and town personnel, who understands the town's finances, and who has the ability to say no. I am that person. I commit to keeping Amherst's police, volunteer fire and emergency services strong. Serious attention must now be directed to the timely completion of the town's drainage plan. My commitment to green space is proven by my role in the negotiation of the Nature View Park legal settlement, which established this new 1,274-acre "forever wild" park in North Amherst. I hold degrees from Oberlin College, Yale University and a Juris Doctor degree from the University at Buffalo School of Law. I will be new to the Town Board. I will not be a career politician. I am refusing all donations as well as endorsements from special interest groups. I will be a truly independent voice for Amherst's residents. Political Parties: R=Republican, Int = Integrity Party, TF = Taxpayers First, D=Democrat, I=Independence, C=Conservative, WF=Working Families |
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