Vote for Pam Deane

I have known Pam Deane for over 15 years and have had the pleasure of working with her for 4 years during my tenure as Supervisor of the Town of Otsego. I know of no other person in whom the concept of public service is more strongly personified. With 20 years of dedicated service, Pam does her job well without favoritism or prejudice, always with a smile and with a level of knowledge and experience unmatched by most other Clerks in the area. Often, Pam is the veteran to whom many other Clerks turn to for information or with procedural questions. She is a doer and not a delegator, providing access to critical services for the residents of the Town of Otsego.

With the Town Board proposing to eliminate medical coverage for Pam and some other employees (although those others will receive monetary compensation instead), Pam will still continue to provide the same excellent level of service to town residents.

This includes issuing permits and licenses, providing information on town regulations and continuing to assemble the myriad warrants necessary for the town board to operate. To lose Pam as Town Clerk would be to lose a valuable servant, a wealth of history and experience, and an approachable, genial member of the Town of Otsego. From someone who has worked on various levels with many of the candidates involved in this election, I urge you to vote for Pam Deane.

Gary Kuch

Cooperstown

Supports Deane

I don’t like to get involved in politics, as my father used to say ``Politicians make strange bedfellows!’’ Having said that, after last week’s politically slanted Letters to the Editor I just had to write my own — from a non-seeking anything in return citizen !!

I support Pam Deane 100 percent! Pam has served our town for many years above reproach as a dedicated, hard working, honest, consistent and approachable town clerk! We now have a mixed board, with a new leader, agendas unknown and we need a constant in Fly Creek — that should be Pam Deane!

Come Election Day please exercise your right to vote and vote for the person who I know will be consistent when you knock on her door with a personal or family concern. A person who is above politics, a person who you can talk to and not be talked down to. Vote Pam Deane.

Let’s keep a strong rudder on our town’s ship.

Jim Renckens

Richfield Springs

Seeks another term

I am writing to ask for your vote for my second term as a Town of Otsego board member My first term was a busy one. The board faced the 2006 flood’s severe damage to our roads and other infrastructure; the updating of the 1987 Master Plan; a town-wide assessment reevaluation; detailed research (and then rejection) of a sewer plan for the west side of the lake; improving the Cemetery Road town site and the building addition; loss of our webmaster and hiring another; updating our inventory procedures; and empowering an Ethics Board.

It is important to me that the board be fiscally conservative. Over the last four years, town income from both sales and mortgage taxes has slowly increased, which has raised our available funds without raising taxes.

In fact, the supervisor was even able to lower them a bit. But this improvement has put us in a tempting situation: we have too much cash reserve.

I think when government has too much cash at hand, it can easily spend it without due thought. In this economic downturn, how much better to return some of this money to the people by further tax reduction.

I would rather see our board come up with what is needed in special purchases (e.g., bringing our salt shed into compliance) and then set a reserve account aside for that particular expenditure.

Without this kind of care, big decisions can be made without a great deal of public knowledge or input. I approach Town Board work as an experienced businessperson. For fifteen years I owned and operated a graphic design company. Those years made also me appreciate local government’s role in helping small business--or hindering it. I want to help.

Now a dozen years into a very happy marriage, I am firmly rooted in Town of Otsego as my home. Over those dozen years, I have worked for the community’s good through the Cooperstown Rotary Club (former president and secretary); the Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce (two terms on the Board and former president); and the Cornell Cooperative Extension as a master gardener and food preserver.

I have also served as secretary of the Fly Creek Valley Cemetery Association and as a Fly Creek Fire Company auxiliary member. I am currently a member of the Fly Creek Area Historical Society.

Please vote for my continued service on our Town of Otsego Board.

Anne Geddes-Atwell

Fly Creek

Mulligan deserves support

Shawn Mulligan deserves our support and our gratitude based on his job performance as Town of Otsego Highway Superintendent. Here is why. First, his background and experience qualify him for the position which is why the Town Board recruited him in the first place.

Second, the floods of 2006 put him squarely in a leadership position where he successfully negotiated with State and Federal agencies for funds needed to deal with disastrous damage to Town roads and bridges.

Well done Shawn. Third, he demonstrated his ability to take charge and update the record keeping of the department that is so critical to complying with government mandates.

Fourth, he has proven to be a wise steward of the Town’s financial assets by squeezing each dollar for optimum value and consistently staying within or below budget.

For the reasons mentioned above and so many others, I will be voting for Shawn Mulligan because he is best for our Town in the position of Highway Superintendent.

Rick Hulse Sr.

Cooperstown

Support McCaffery

I am writing in support of Rich McCaffery for our next Town of Otsego Clerk. I am impressed by his dedication to our community through his level of volunteerism and desire to make the Town and Village a better place to live.

He has served our community through membership and leadership positions including Secretary of Park Commissioners, Chair of Board of Directors Executive Service Corps, Community Educator Bassett Healthcare and Coordinator of their Safe Kids Program.

His professional career experience will serve the Office of Town Clerk with an increased level of organization, hospitality and commitment to working with other Town Departments and the Town Board to better serve the residents and taxpayers.

Importantly, as a Village resident, Rich will be able to express our needs to the Town Board and new Supervisor. Village representation at the Town level; is especially important during these tough economic times.

I especially encourage voters to visit his website at www.richccaffery.com

Mary Dunkle

Cooperstown

It must be true

Pam Deane is running for reelection as Town of Otsego Clerk and Tax Collector, with the new term starting Jan. 1. For the first time in 18 years, Pam has opposition, with two people running against her in her own party.

When the day comes that Pam is no longer there, the new Clerk will have to hit the ground running. It is in January that thousands of tax bills must be mailed out, and then processed when they come back in with payment. The Clerk has to account for every penny of literally millions of dollars of tax payments, in addition to her other duties. Fortunately for Pam and the Town, she had two years of on-the-job training as Deputy Town Clerk.

With the knowledge and experience she has acquired over her years as Clerk, Pam has become an invaluable resource for Town officials and citizens. She will be indispensable in helping the transition to a new Town Supervisor in January.

Although Pam has regular office hours, she makes herself available to the public practically all of the time. She freely gives out her home telephone number, and it is not unusual for people to show up at her house, looking for a fishing license or marriage license. And her dedication goes beyond what she is paid to do.

We should be grateful that Pam Deane wants to continue as Town Clerk, and I strongly urge you to vote for her in the Republican primary on Sept. 15 and the general election Nov. 3. If someone has something good to say about his ex-wife, it must be true.

Bill Deane

Cooperstown