Archive: News

Andra Benson was appointed to a one year term on the Lansing Town Board Wednesday night.  Benson was one of seven candidates who were being considered to fill a one year vacancy left when Councilwoman Kathy Miller won the Town Supervisor seat in November's election.  After an executive session at which the new board discussed the candidates the board reconvened the public meeting to officially vote on their choice.

"At last month's board meeting in looking at what the residents wanted and that really seemed to be the deciding factor," said Deputy Supervisor Robert Cree.  "After taking that into account we also realized that one of the candidates in particular has a lot of recognition or representation from the farmers' side.  We don't currently have that on the board."

Benson was one of four candidates in the November election for two town council seats.  She received 900 votes despite a non-agressive campaign, putting her in third place behind Ed LaVigne (1246) and Ruth Hopkins (978).  A former Lansing School Board member, Benson and her husband Chuck own Bensvue Farms, a large dairy farm in Lansingville that is a member of the Organic Valley Cooperative.

In an October interview Benson said she was running because her family has deep roots in Lansing and she wants to protect the environment in the town.  She stressed planning and keeping the new town center at the center to protect farm lands in the north of the town.  She is against hydrofracking in Lansing, and said she wants to keep agriculture as a big part of the town.

"I would hate to think that the Town was not receptive to agriculture, which it was based on," she said.  "And we have good land, and we have good resources, and we have water, thank God.  Farms can prosper here."

Filling the rest of Miller's councilwoman seat is a bit complicated.  Now that she is Supervisor there are two years left in her councilwoman term.  Benson will fill the first year with her appointment.  In November the seat will be up for grabs in the election, but the elected board member's term will only be the remaining year of Miller's term.  The following year it will be up for election again for the next four year term.

Before the holidays Lansing residents were invited to submit resumes if they were interested in serving on the board this year.  Benson (R) submitted a letter along with Katrina Binkewicz (D), Steve Farkas (R), Michael Koplinka-Loehr (D), Scott Pinney (R), Mike Sigler (R), and Connie Wilcox (D).  Binkewicz and Wilcox are former Lansing councilwomen.  Farkas and pinney are former Lansing supervisors.  Koplinka-Loehr and Sigler are former Tompkins County legislators.

Wilcox, Binkewicz, and Koplinka-Loehr have been attending council meetings, and all three were present Wednesday.  Wilcox and Binkewicz waited for the vote after the private 'executive session'.  Cree announced the board's choice and then voted to make it official.  Miller pointed out it is a one year appointment and encouraged Wilcox, Binkewicz and other interested people to run for the seat in the November election, and to be involved in committees and town initiatives this year.

"If you want to get involved with what is happening in the town there is a lot happening right now," Miller said.  "We need a lot of help and we have a lot of really good people in this town with wonderful talents and abilities.  We want to tap into those things.  I think sometimes people don't do that unless they're asked.  I hope people do."

Yesterday Miller sent an e-mail to all the candidates thanking them for putting themselves forward and reiterating her plea that they be involved in the town government in other ways this year.

"I'm not going anyplace," Wilcox said.  "I'll be here to observe every single Town Board meeting.  I truly hope that Andra steps up to the plate."

"I have the time to be involved and I will be involved," said Binkewicz.  "I am very interested in some of the things that are happening, and I'll be around."

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