Jeff has the
experience
I would like to see the Village
in good hands for the
future and moving in the right
directions to keep the Village
that I love still that unique
place in many of our hearts.
That is why, as a prominent
Republican, I am actively
backing Jeff Katz for Mayor.
Jeff has devoted the time
and effort to learn the job,
investigate the issues, present
both sides intelligently, both
pros and cons when asked
and place the Village needs
before his own because of his
love of Cooperstown. It is time
to put the good of the Village
before political party affiliations.
If more public servants
put the needs of the public
first and put the good of the
people before the demands
of their parties and their own
personal interests, we would
have less of the antagonism
we see today. We would get
more accomplished.
Jeff has the experience we
need, five years as a Trustee
and two years as Deputy
Mayor. He has the knowledge
we need, having served on
most of the Village Committees.
He has the intelligence
we need, coming up with
innovative fund raising opportunities
that have allowed our
Village to accomplish major
projects without massive tax
increases. He has made his
time available to the Village
day and night and hasn’t
missed a meeting that I can
remember, and has put even
more of his personal time
in representing me and our
Village before Federal, State,
County and Town meetings.
But most important to me, he
loves this Village and it shows
in his commitment to all of us.
Please join me in supporting
Jeff, real experience and
commitment we need. And,
thank you for the honor of being
your Mayor and Trustee for
a total of 16 years; and thanks
to all for their kind comments
regarding my health and
future.
Carol Bateman Waller
Mayor of Cooperstown
Joe will represent us
Potholes are now the norm
in Cooperstown. Brooklyn
Avenue is closed. Village Hall
has become a sieve. Village
government continues to
postpone $10-$20 million of
infrastructure repairs because
of its weak and deteriorating
financial position.
We must break this downward
trend that threatens our
sustainability. We see signs of
decline such as ``For Rent’’ and
``For Sale,’’ and we are alarmed
by symptoms such as dropping
school enrollment and
falling visitor numbers.
Joe Booan is the professionally
trained leader we need
to get Cooperstown back on
track. He was recently promoted
to Director at ONC BOCES
where he balances budgets by
controlling spending. His latest
budget reduced spending
by 2.35 percent.
Joe’s opponent has been on
the board the past five years
when village revenues rose
4.7 percent per year. Unfortunately,
property taxes also
increased 4.7 percent per year.
Why, because village government
spending swelled
6 percent per year. If village
government had simply contained
spending increases to
equal inflation, it would have
saved over $400,000.
Joe will not support damaging
revenue schemes that do
our village more harm than
good. Pay & Display machines
on Main Street, writing thousands
of parking tickets and
raising taxes will chase away
residents, businesses and
tourists.
Most important, we’ve seen
a huge escalation of political
nonsense the past five years.
This type of behavior is not
what Cooperstown is about.
We are a quiet and dignified
people that take great pride
in community cooperation.
As individuals, we are modest
and considerate.
Joe Booan is the candidate
with the professional
expertise to repair our village
government and preserve our
future. Joe will represent us
in a humble and courteous
manner that is consistent with
whom we are. I respectfully
ask you to join me and cast
your vote for Joe Booan to be
the next Mayor of Cooperstown.
Eric Hage
Cooperstown
Hage is currently completing
his first term as Village
Trustee. He has chosen not
to seek re-election.
I will represent
the interests of all
In my five years experience
as Trustee I have shown real
accomplishment as I’ve served
on virtually every committee.
On those committees and
Boards, I have worked diligently,
attending meetings,
and doing tireless research to
approach old issues with new
information, or to come up
with fresh, innovative ideas to
present and act upon.
I’ve worked with the same
diligence for the committees
I haven’t been on, such as
Sewer Board, in dealing with
permits and grants.
Specific issues come and go,
but how one approaches the
process stays the same. I have
always been consistent in my
approach, honest and open in
my discussions, with one overriding
principle: what is for the
general good of the residents
of this Village. While there are
many different constituencies,
and they all must be listened
to, the residents are whom we
are elected by and whom we
represent. I never lose sight of
that in my work as a Trustee.
Having served as Deputy
Mayor the last two years,
I’ve seen what it takes to be
Mayor. While the Trustee job
entails hours of committee
work, the Mayor’s job takes a
different time commitment.
I can tell you that being on
call for the Village as Deputy
Mayor, whether it’s fielding
calls from the office, getting
phone calls from residents
or consultants, or pursuing
issues that are beyond the
usual task of the Trustee role,
can, and has, taken hours of
a normal day. The Village is
faced with more and more
complexity, more and more
work. It needs a Mayor with
more time to devote to the
well-being of the Village. Fortunately,
my work schedule
is flexible and my personal
needs can be adjusted to
accommodate the Village’s.
In cases of emergency, I am
always in the Village, prepared
and able to respond.
To lead as Mayor, one needs
to have a deep and broad
knowledge of Village issues.
There have been many meetings
or conference calls I’ve
participated in with Congressman,
State legislators, and
Town officials, where multiple
subjects have come up unexpectedly.
In those moments,
a Mayor needs to have the
information at their fingertips
to strongly and effectively
represent the Village. In this
era, where working with other
governmental agencies is
crucial, I have already proven
I can work with the Towns
and County on issues that are
important to the Village.
We all deeply love this
Village. Whether we’ve
been here one year or 50,
one generation or more, it’s
impossible not to feel love for
Cooperstown. In my family’s
case, we picked up and chose
to fulfill our lifetime dream
by moving to Cooperstown,
where Karen and I could bring
up our three boys, in a Village
where everyone looks out for
each other. Living here and
serving the community has far
exceeded our expectations.
I want to humbly thank all
those who have expressed
their support for me in so
many different ways. I will
continue to represent the
interests of all of our residents
fairly and honestly if elected
Mayor.
I ask for your support on
Election Day.
Jeff Katz
Cooperstown
I pledge to
work tirelessly
My name is Doug Walker
and I am running for village
trustee. I graduated from
CCS in 1963, served in the
Marine Corps in Vietnam and
graduated from St. Lawrence
University in 1971. I have
owned and operated several
businesses in Cooperstown
over the past 30 years, including
Danny’s Market, Walker
Gallery Fine Art and Framing,
The National Pastime and
currently 2 Chestnut Bed and
Breakfast. I believe my greatest
strength that I bring from
that experience is my ability
to work with a team and to
make informed decisions that
lead to solving problems.
I have lived in Cooperstown
for most of my life and I have
watched it evolve from a
quiet, insular community,
far removed from the rest of
the world to where it is today
with people coming here
from every country to visit the
Baseball Hall of Fame and to
enjoy the scenic beauty of Otsego
county. Along with these
successes have come many
problems, which burden our
community. This is where
the elected leaders on our
village board come into play.
It is they who must balance
the needs of all interests in
Cooperstown and make the
decisions that will affect all
of us in the future. I ask for
your vote on Tuesday, March
16 and pledge, if elected,
to work tirelessly to keep
Cooperstown the wonderful
community that it is.
Doug Walker
Cooperstown
Our candidates have
a proven record
We are fast approaching
one of the most important
elections in decades; the outcome
of which will determine
the future direction of our
village for years to come. I was
nominated to run for Trustee
this year but, after careful
reflection, I decided I wanted to
devote all my efforts to ensuring
our Democratic team have the
best opportunity to be elected
or re-elected to office. The problems
we face are numerous and
affect all aspects of our quality
of life. I am going to ask you to
come out on March 16 to vote
for four individuals.
Jeff Katz, our candidate for
Mayor, current Deputy Mayor
and Trustee, cherishes this village
and has an accomplished
record that we can be proud
of. He has an unsurpassed
familiarity with village issues
and government. Through his
efforts of finding new revenue
he has kept taxes down, he
has alleviated some of our
parking problems, enhanced
our library and has had other
municipality’s donate more
funds, worked with residents to
build Badger Park with the Villages
first skating rink, ensured
24/7 police protection for our
citizens, secured funds for the
Gateway Project, fought opposition
to keep Village property
open for our Fire Department
so they could park in a timely
fashion when time is critical in
a emergency, and many other
quality of life situations.
Lynne Mebust, our current
Trustee, is running for a second
term, she also has a record of
accomplishments. She has
spearheaded the fight to restore
24/7 police coverage, fought
for our Fire Fighters needs and
has answered their concerns,
Lynne has fought for innovative
revenue raising solutions, helping
to keep our taxes in check
and helping to pay for projects
like Irish Hill, as park chair she
worked closely with residents
to secure funds for Badger Park
enhancements.
Sally Eldred, running for
Trustee, moved to Cooperstown
approximately five years ago
and brings an extensive resume
and wealth of experience to the
table, including being Executive
Director, Greater Liverpool
Chamber of Commerce, a long
career in public relations and
communications, and 11 years
on the Zoning Board of Appeals.
Leslie Friedman, is currently
our Deputy Village Justice. She
has worked tirelessly in this
position and is exceedingly
qualified. An attorney for 20
years, Member of the Bar of
New York, Pennsylvania and District
of Columbia. A graduate of
J.D. N.Y.U., holds a BA Bryn Mawr
College, Member of the N.Y.S.
and Otsego County Magistrates
Associations. Leslie will be fair
and diligent in her duties.
Our Democratic candidates
have a proven record
as leaders with extraordinary
backgrounds. Please join me in
supporting these four candidates
on March 16.
Richard Abbate
Cooperstown Democratic
Chairman
The village
needs leadership
Make No Mistake _ if Joe
Booan’s opponent becomes
Mayor of Cooperstown we will
have Pay & Display machines on
Main Street this summer. Even
though paid parking machines
haven’t been put in yet, that
does not mean the threat has
gone away. Quite the contrary.
Joe’s opponent stated in a
recent public meeting that he
feels we can have paid parking
downtown as early as August.
This issue has been intentionally
held under the radar by Joe’s
opponent and his supporters
because they want the people
to forget about it in the voting
booth.
Right now the village needs
leadership, structure and vision.
With Joe Booan this is what
we will get. He has the professional
training and experience to
turn our deteriorating financial
situation into a sound one. He
can provide a unified vision and
has the professional ability to
provide the structure needed to
get there.
We do not need to keep placing
new financial burdens onto
the backs of our village residents,
our visitors or the surrounding
communities, because we do not
know how to take a hard look
at our spending. It was stated
by Joe’s opponent that until we
implement Paid Parking on Main
Street, he didn’t feel that the
expenses should be addressed.
This is another case of being
financially irresponsible and trying
to raise more revenue at the
expense of the village, where a
look at the village’s expenditures
is what is truly called for.
With the numbers of people
coming to the village declining
and downtown businesses struggling,
this is not the direction to
head in. We need to keep Cooperstown
healthy and vital and
not discourage shopping downtown
or discourage visitors from
coming to our village. As the
business district slows down, the
burden falls back to the village
residents through their taxes.
We need to see the damage that
the increase in taxes does to our
community _ and Paid Parking
is just one form of tax. With the
financially sound leadership Joe
Booan provides, our community
working together can become
the wonderful village we love. It
can give hope back to parents
that there will be a village years
from now that children will be
able to come back to as Joe has
done, a place our children can
afford to live and thrive in, a
place where our infrastructure
is secure and a place where we
can afford to retire in. On March
16, you as a voter have the ability
to make your voice heard. To
let the village leaders know that
you are not content with the
path we are on, I urge you to get
out and vote and hope you will
vote for Joe Booan as I will. We
cant afford not to.
There is a simple choice _
vote for the ``tax and spend’’
candidate, or vote for fiscal
planning and responsibility. We
need to plan our village’s future,
not simply go month to month
and see what happens. Vote for
Joe Booan.
Willis Monie Jr.
Trustee
Cooperstown
Vote for Booan
Joe Booan believes in win/win
solutions. Look at 24/7 police
coverage. Instead of blindly
backing a proposed $38,000
budget amendment, Joe recognized
an opportunity to do the
right thing. Everyone wanted
comprehensive coverage. Joe
Booan’s compromise maintained
24/7 coverage and saved
you, the taxpayer, over $20,000.
Admittedly, this approach
does not provide for much
passion on the campaign trail. It
may not be politically expedient.
However, Joe Booan is not a politician.
Joe Booan is a problem
solver. Joe Booan is constantly
looking for win/win opportunities.
Joe Booan is a leader.
Issues change. Leadership,
integrity, teamwork, style and
character are constant. Leadership,
integrity, teamwork, style
and character matter. Joe Booan
possesses these qualities. This is
why I am backing Joe Booan’s
bid to be our next mayor. This
is why I support Alton Dunn &
Doug Walker for trustee.
They will provide the leadership
our village most urgently
needs.
Neil Weiller Trustee
Cooperstown
Like Mayor Waller did
This is a great ad for Jeff Katz _ it’s a highway billboard at I-90 and I-87 in Albany. I’ll explain . . . The Village has an external media ``footprint’’ that is 10 times the size of the village, approximately that of a town with a population of 200,000. Its economy depends on tourism. So when the Hall of Fame starts holding press conferences after business hours and on Saturday, Booan might be an OK choice. Or when NYSHA, Fenimore, Farmers’ Museum, and Bassett schedule events to accommodate an ``after work’’ mayor.
But that’s not the way tourism related media events work. So it’s not a bad idea to have a Mayor that has an engaging personality. Especially during their 9 to 5 ``work week’’ as mayor. When they are going to be doing some of their best work: representing a town that depends on tourism. Like Mayor Waller did every time she left her shop . . . to go to work.
James Northrup
Cooperstown
