Alison Neumann and Dorothy Terwilliger
Two Votes, One Goal... Keep Bellport First!
Once
again, we
are running together for the two positions as Village Trustees in the
upcoming Bellport Village Elections. We're doing this because we want to be
able to continue the important work we've done on your behalf over the past
two years. We're proud of our accomplishments and we'd like to ask for your
support and vote, for both of us, on June 19th.
● When we were elected, the Village Board was divided and had trouble working with one another, however now, members of the Village Board are working together and are actively encouraging community members to join in the decision making process.
● As we have recognized our new businesses, seasonal holidays and local events, we have been privileged to take part in these Village celebrations.
● We have formed a new Ethics Committee to serve, when needed, as part of our new Ethics Law.
● We have developed a strategy to
include interested citizens in developing a new Master Plan for
the Village.
● Our taxes have been kept within the 2% tax cap set by New York State and still we are able to put money into reserves due to careful fiscal management.
● The Seniors’ Program has added new activities, in addition to providing transportation three days per week for needed appointments, for the seniors who have no other way to get to them.
● The leases for the Yacht Club and Country Club have been signed after several years of negotiations.
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| Accomplishments | |
| Keeping Bellport First | |
| Candidate's Statements | |
As we seek re-election on June 19th, we want to remind you of promises that we made and kept since our election in June 2010.
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Our senior program has been restored and continues to grow using a grant from Suffolk County through their Community Block Program, thereby not using any of our village funds.
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We have reduced our village debt by over $500,000 in the past two years.
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We have cut our legal bills by 38% over the past two years.
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We have obtained a new Code Enforcement Vehicle through Caithness Funds.
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We have developed a new Master Plan Committee to plan for the future with the input of local residents.
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We pledged to resolve the Bellport Yacht Club lease and we did.
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We kept our taxes within the 2% tax levy cap mandated by the State of New York yet put monies in reserves.
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We rewrote the Board of Ethics Code so that the members were not the trustees but appointees who are independent members of our community.
There are many other endeavors
that we have accomplished and more that we would like to do in the next two
years. With the help of more than 70 village residents who volunteer their
time to participate in the Boards and Commissions for our village
government, we believe that we have reached out to the community and
included individuals who want to become involved in our village. Our current
Board of Trustees is a team that works well together for the benefit of our
residents.
We ask for your support on June 19th so that we may continue to work with
you with the goal of keeping Bellport First.
As
we have been visiting our residents to talk about the issues in Bellport and
encourage them to participate in our village government, there have been
several rumors shared with us that we find to be not only disturbing but
totally baseless in fact.
One rumor that emerged prior to Memorial Day was that the Ferry would not be
running this year and that Ho Hum Beach would not be opened. Two days after
we first heard that rumor, the Ferry was in the water and the beach was open
as planned. We have had an issue with the water well which we have addressed
before with the public. It took months of research and proper planning in
order to resolve the water issue. We had to deal with FINS, DEC and the
Health Department. We actually obtained a special attorney familiar with
these processes to assist us in making the best decisions and contacting the
official departments. If we had not dealt with this properly, there could
have been fines imposed; however, no fines were issued due to our response.
A
rumor that we heard this weekend was that the two of us do not use the beach
or golf course and are planning to sell all or part of these amenities. This
could not be further from our minds. We are all concerned about revenue and
budgets and the Board of Trustees is constantly reviewing our village
resources. Part of the charge to the Master Plan Committee will be to
discuss how best to maximize our revenue and maintain our amenities. Whether
or not we personally use a particular amenity has no bearing on our promise
to the residents to protect them.
We hope that any such rumors that you hear will be brought to our attention
so that we may share with you what the truth is.
Thank you for your support.
Being
a
Trustee is a responsibility which we take very seriously. We face new
unexpected challenges constantly but welcome the opportunity to consider
options to overcome them and find solutions. Among the examples this past
year were the beach, the Budget cap, and Hurricane Irene.
The well providing water at Ho Hum Beach had to be replaced and studying the
options and proposed costs proved to be a challenge. As members of the
Board, we recognized the need for a permanent fix, not a “band-aid,” and the
costs had to be carefully scrutinized. We had to consider the regulations of
the Department of Health, Department of Environmental Conservation and Fire
Island National Seashore. We looked at the possibility of a filtration
system, but ultimately that would have cost us more and require ongoing
expenses. We have been able to open our beach as we proceed with our new
well. There were several rumors in the Village that the beach would not be
open, but this was never the case.
With the 2% budget levy in effect, our Board decided to make every attempt
to keep our tax increase within the 2% limit. We were able to do so through
careful fiscal planning. The State of New York’s continued pension and
health care costs are a large part of every community’s obligations which
add to our overall budget.
Although we were spared a full force hurricane, the Village did receive
extensive damages from Tropical Storm Irene. Some of the clean up and
repairs had to be completed immediately, such tree removal, some sidewalk
damage and clearing the debris from Mother’s Beach, prior to receiving any
federal funds. We have been working to maximize our FEMA reimbursements.
Everyone on the Village staff and Board acted together to keep our residents
safe and informed on that day and during the cleanup.
Our Village Board is currently made up of five individuals with varied
backgrounds, talents, and opinions who are able to discuss, disagree, and
compromise to accomplish what we need to for the benefit of all the
residents.
We ask for your votes on June 19th so we can continue our joint efforts to
keep Bellport First.
When deciding who to cast your votes for, we ask
that you take into consideration the many ways in which we have been
involved in the village business in order to keep Bellport First.
Some of you may not be aware of how many boards and commissions meet
regularly to discuss the important issues of the month. We recognize and
appreciate their efforts and contributions. As we stated in our previous
campaign, we value the input of our residents so we have attended most all
of these meetings. This includes the Architectural Review Board, the
Historic District Preservation Commission, the Planning Commission and the
Zoning Board of Appeals which fall within the building department. The Golf
Commission, the Tennis Commission, and the Waterfront Commission provide
guidance for our recreational amenities. The Chamber of Commerce meets
monthly to network and provide direction for ways to enhance our business
district. The Village Court meets bi-monthly to address the violations of
our code which not only brings in revenue but provides us with information
for changes needed in the code and fee schedule. Preparing the Village
Budget is time consuming and is considered almost daily as we are the
internal auditors. And our monthly Board meetings are a compilation of the
events of the village boards.
Prior to our elections we both volunteered and were appointed to several
village boards. It gave us a background that is essential for anyone
considering a position on the Village Board of Trustees. But beyond that, we
truly enjoy attending these meetings and conversing with the residents. We
recognize that many people have ideas to contribute so to maximize that
participation, we have created a Master Plan Committee. These individuals
will be meeting over the next 90 days to evaluate and set goals, both
long-term and short-term, in such areas as Open Spaces, Government Roles,
Highway, Golf and the Business District. Their template will be used to
design the village’s master plan.
In summation, we feel that we have the experience, the knowledge base and
the commitment to continue our pledge to welcome the input of our residents
and be involved in every aspect of the village.
We ask for your continued support on Election Day.
 My
name is Alison Neumann and I am running for Re-Election as Bellport
Village Trustee.In the almost two years since you first showed your support by electing me as a Bellport Village Trustee, I, and the other Bellport Village Board members, have been able to achieve many positive things for our Village and its residents. I must say, I am immensely proud of what we have achieved and provide for those who live in, work in, and visit our beautiful little community. But, most importantly, I am honored to be a part of a Village Board comprised of wonderful, intelligent, and caring members who have been able to come together and work to maintain and improve the character and charm of this place we all call home. With that said, it is my hope to be Re-Elected so I may continue to work for our residents, businesses, and our many community groups to preserve, protect, and maintain this very special gem called Bellport Village. |
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 My
name is Dorothy Terwilliger and I am announcing my candidacy for
re-election as Bellport Village Trustee. Two years ago, I was
elected as Trustee and I thank my supporters for giving me the
opportunity to serve our community and make positive changes in
Bellport Village. During the next few weeks, I will again be visiting, door to door, to listen to your concerns and ask for your support in the upcoming Village Elections. I will also be sharing with you our past achievements and future plans to keep Bellport a village we can all be proud of. If you’d like, you can reach me through Village Hall at 286-0327 and I welcome your questions and comments. I would appreciate your vote on Election Day, June 19th, so that I can continue the important work of the Village on your behalf. |