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The primary for NYS Assembly with seven Democrats (and counting...) vying for retiring Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton's seat is June 23rd.  And of course the general election is November 3rd.  But before all these -- and on the same day as the the Presidential Primary election this year -- is the election for two Village of Lansing Trustee seats on April 28th.  John O'Neill is not running again this year, having served seven terms as Trustee.  This year's Community party candidates are Trustee Randy Smith, who was appointed last May to fill out Gerry Monighan's term when Monaghan withdrew from the Board after two and a half terms, and Simon Moll.

Smith was appointed to the Board of Trustees last May when Monaghan withdrew from his board seat after about five years as a Trustee.  Smith brings his business experience to the Board of trustees, and has a particular interest in preventing uncontrolled sprawl in the Village, and is serving on the Village's Climate Smart Task force.  Since being appointed last year he has joined the Community party.

Smith and his wife have lived in the Village for three years in a neighborhood near the mall.  They have  four grown daughters, and five grandchildren.  He came to Tompkins County in 1972 while working for NCR.  Soon after he became a major part of Deanco, Inc., which was based in the Village on Triphammer Road.   After many years the company was sold, and Smith joined Incodema, which started 18 years ago with three people including Smith.  Since then it has grown into four companies with over two hundred employees.  He is the company's sales manager.  The Freeville facility produces state of the art 3-D printing in metals.  Smith works from Incodema's original Cliff Street office where the company does prototype metal stamping.

Moll has lived in the Village of Lansing for the past 15 years.  Originally from Australia he was a student renter in the Village before he and his wife Monica bought their home in the Dart Drive area of the Village.  They have two young children.  The Molls operate their own property management company in Collegetown, and both have been active participants in Village government.  Between the two of them they serve on the Village's Board of Zoning appeals (ZBA), Planning Board, Deer Management Program, Parks and Greenway Committee, and Climate Smart Task force.

"I want to help out young families and get a lot more younger families and younger people getting involved in the Village," Moll says. "We have an aging population and, I want to get some younger folks involved. There's a lot of gratitude to the current people on the board for doing this for so long, but I think it's time for the younger generation to step up and take the Village into the future and, and, and keep it successful as it has been."

Moll says he wants to expand the Village trails system, as well as expanding walking and biking paths and public space to increase a sense of community within the Village.  He says the biggest issue the Village faces in the near future is the viability of the Shops at Ithaca Mall and other storefronts within the Village.  He also wants to increase residential areas while enforcing zoning.

Village Trustee terms are for two years.  Community Party candidates are rarely challenged in the Village of Lansing, although it has been known to happen, most recently in the 2017 election. March 24th is the final date for independent nominating partitions to be filed at the Board of Elections.  The polls will be open at the Village Hall April 28th from Noon to 9 pm.

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