- By Dan Veaner
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It may seem early to be thinking about elections, but the summer weather in Lansing isn't the only thing heating up. Both County Board seats held by Lansing representatives will be contested, and three positions in Town government, two Town Board seats and one Town Justice, are up for reelection this year. Village elections are held in April, so they are done for the year.
Lansing is also represented by half of the District 10 seat, currently held by Democrat Dooley Kiefer. She will be challenged by Republican Cliff Buck this year for the position that also represents NE Ithaca. The County contests are where the heat is likely to be, especially in the District 6 primary. Doug McEver was surprised to learn he would be challenged by a fellow Republican. He respects Mr. Sigler, saying "I think he would do almost as good a job as me, once he has learned as much as I have. After six months or a year he'd be just as informed (about current Lansing and Tompkins County issues) as I am." He noted that Mr. Sigler has just moved to Lansing from Ithaca, but that he has supported Mr. Sigler in the past, even voting for him in his run against Barbara Lifton for State Assembly. Mr. Sigler's response was, "Considering we're about three months out from the election, apparently by the time I get elected I'll know enough!" He went on to say, "What was right before may not be right now. When I ran for (State) Assembly I was in this town a lot. I already know so many people that I feel that I really do know the issues of Lansing, and can be a strong representative for (Lansing residents) on the County Board." He added that Lansing residents had asked him to run, and that fund raising was going well. Some of the candidates are starting their campaigns early. For example, Mr. Sigler plans his first mailing within a few weeks. Others will wait until we are closer to the general election. Both Republican candidates have identified high taxes as the most pressing issue the County faces. Mr. McEver says that spending is out of control without accountability. Mr. Sigler is concerned that Lansing get back its fair share of tax dollars from the county. Both have expressed concern that residents can't afford to continue living in Lansing, especially elderly people on fixed incomes. Mr. Sheldon's top issue is long term planning. His view is that there isn't much that can be done about mandated programs now, but planning will insure lower taxes in the future. "It costs less to do it today than it will to do it tomorrow," he says, noting that if the money had been spent in the 1990s on the County infrastructure we wouldn't have the expensive catch-up we do today. The race promises to be interesting in the County as a whole as well as in Lansing. Mr. Sigler thinks it is possible the Republicans will increase their numbers on the board, because taxpayers are fed up with irresponsible spending and high taxes. | Read the Full Interviews Over the next several weeks the Star will be running a series of interviews with County Board candidates, where we ask each one the same questions. We'll include a handy chart to compare the highlights at a glance, and will keep the interviews available on-line as the elections go forward. Election Facts:
Lansing Representation *
* Calculations made using 2000 census figures provided by the County in it's "Citizen's Guide," available on the Tompkins County web site. |
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