Ken Panza
I have lived in Woodstock over 35 years. My wife, Marcia, is the nurse at the Woodstock (Elementary) School, and to voters with school-age children, I’m known as Marcia’s husband. My two children, Amy and James, attended Woodstock School and Onteora High School, and my granddaughter began kindergarten this year. I’m retired after a 35-year career with IBM and Oracle in a variety of sales, marketing, product planning, and management positions. If elected, I will bring a serious background in financial planning and management to the town board.
The most serious problem facing Woodstock’s town government is the budget and adjusting the town’s cost structure to conform with available tax revenue. Today’s budget problems were created last year when the Town Board approved the 2011 budget with a $450,000 deficit. The surplus funds used to cover this deficit are not available this year, and the Town Board either had to impose a 15 percent tax increase or drastically cut town employees to balance the 2012 budget.
The 2012 budget will set the parameters for the 2013 budget, and the next Town Board will need to discuss further changes to Woodstock’s cost structure. Questions such as whether (the) dispatch and police (departments) should be three-shift operations, the role of full-time and part-time employees, and town vs. county services need to be discussed and answered. The Town Board failed to have these conversations early in their term and then, during the last several weeks, were faced with unavoidable and intractable decisions.
The 2 percent tax cap brings a much-needed focus on spending and unfunded mandates. With this year’s budget problems, it’s unrealistic to expect taxes to increase by only 2 percent, but the tax cap did force serious and painful decisions about spending and mandates. In the future, it should be possible to deliver a consistent level of services within the 2 percent cap. The law allows exceptions, and there are good reasons for these exceptions.
With the projected deficit in the 2012 budget, the Town Board voted to exceed the 2 percent cap. Major capital projects will likely require exceeding the 2 percent cap. But the biggest threat to the 2 percent cap are the unfunded mandates from the state and county. Staying within the 2 percent cap means that within a couple of years we may be sending most of our money to Albany and Kingston.
Aside from the budget, there are other issues for the next Town Board. The renovation of Town Hall is an existing, unresolved problem, along with the deterioration of other town buildings. The Planning Board and the ZBA have recommended important zoning changes that have never been considered by the Town Board. Changes in requirements for site plan reviews in the commercial districts are needed, and the impact of development in Neighborhood Commercial (NC) districts on the neighbors has not been resolved. Ever since last summer’s water emergency and the (state) DEC questioning the water district’s capacity to support (the) RUPCO (project), there have been obvious problems with Woodstock’s water supply.
I consider Jeremy Wilber and Lorin Rose friends, and I’ve decided not to vote for supervisor in this election. Jeremy and Lorin bring unique, but different, skills to the job. Because of his previous terms as supervisor, Jeremy has a strong background with budgets and understanding of the town’s expenses and costs. It’s doubtful the town would be facing this serious budget crisis if Jeremy had remained as supervisor. Lorin brings a strong background in construction, and considering the state of disrepair of town buildings and the lack of funds, these skills are sorely needed. It’s unlikely the memorial on the Village Green for Jane Van De Bogart would have remained unrepaired and wrapped in orange plastic webbing for the last six months if Lorin had been supervisor.
Jay Wenk
I was born in Boston and have lived here for 46 years. The current recession has stalled my cabinetmaking income.
The most important problems facing the town are (a) the lack of a total transparency that will not jeopardize legal, personnel and several other matters, (b) the need for five Town Board members who are willing to work for consensual agreement, and (c) the need to coordinate various town departments to work more efficiently for the taxpayers.
I support keeping taxes as low as possible, and the 2 percent cap is a good way to start. I couldn’t attend the last Town Board meeting, but I did send in my written suggestions, which I assume were read in public. [Editor’s note: They were not.] I insist that all paid lawyers, engineers, consultants, purveyors of goods and services — in fact, every person or company — reduce their fees and prices by 15 percent if they want to continue working for the town. I am the only one with a real proposal to increase revenues, by putting the Mountain View parking lot on the same paying basis as the Rock City Road parking lot, which provides over $40,000 a year. I’ve held town meetings for the public to share their concerns on the budget. The budget process should start early enough so that we are not surprised by last-minute errors.
Moreover, the county’s levies on the town, which they want passed on to the taxpayers, is another highhanded piece of crap, and doesn’t have to be accepted lying down. We can organize all the municipalities in Ulster County and protest in a united way. I say that it’s time we stopped meekly accepting unfunded mandates and stood up on our feet to say NO MORE!
My record as councilman is one of plain honesty and transparency. When asked questions, I respond directly, not with a flow of numbers and irrelevant details. I’ve blown the whistle on attempts by the supervisor to have secret, illegal meetings. I spoke out immediately against a plan to have a curfew for youngsters, and helped to develop a creative alternative. I’ve spoken out for civil rights for all citizens (including) “same-sex marriage.” I forced the supervisor to have the “public be heard” session at every Town Board meeting. I created the (efficient and inexpensive) police bicycle patrol. Health, safety, and welfare being the prime concern of government prompted me to get the pedestrian crossings painted on the streets. I stopped the waste of millions of dollars on foolish building projects. I’ve opposed a change of the ethics law that for no reason tripled the amount of “gifts” town employees can accept from anyone. I’ve supported the Comeau easement from the beginning and forced the opening to the public of the writing of its advisory plan that the deputy supervisor had been neglecting for almost 18 months. I championed naming the Community Center after Mescal Hornbeck, in spite of the board’s initial refusal. I worked on developing the executive summary of the Comprehensive Plan for the town. I found an environmental problem on the Comeau, had meetings with a state forester, and resolved the problem. I was the first one to call for an examination of our water system when last year’s water shortage was announced. I said I’ll support the RUPCO project when all legal issues are resolved, and I’m angry that (RUPCO has) been ignoring the rules of procedure that they agreed to. Any and all expenses the water district users will have to shoulder must be shared by RUPCO.
Lorin Rose is a lifelong (Woodstock) resident, with a directness that is totally nonpolitical; he speaks with assurance and understanding. His qualifications as a local businessman are something that (previous elected officials haven’t had. Lorin’s openness, honesty, and sense of humor are considered by me to be necessary qualifications for political life. He speaks with a brevity that I find refreshing. I think he tries to hide his brilliance behind a reserved manner, but those smarts and wisdom are there. We are facing new challenges, new problems for the well-being of our town. I’m convinced that Lorin is the person that can lead the Town Board and all the citizens of Woodstock with successful and unifying solutions.
Join the family! 
