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Relieved to Have a Viable Choice for Mayor in Heffernan
Dear Editor:
I am a Cold Spring resident and business owner, and I am relieved that Phil Heffernan is running for mayor and that there is finally a viable choice.
The vitality of Main Street depends on out of town visitors to shop in our stores and eat in our restaurants. My business serves kayakers and outdoor enthusiasts. They are the sort of quiet, clean visitors who support local business without negatively affecting the lives of village residents or our beautiful natural surroundings. Yet in a 2002 Journal News article, Mayor Phillips is quoted as saying "We are being kayaked to death." I believe its time for new leadership which seeks to encourage clean, green, low impact sources of economic growth, not reject them.
Phil Heffernan wants to encourage a healthy Main Street that strikes a balance between the needs of residents and amenities that make our community attractive to visitors. And he believes that the way to do this is by involving the whole community in a dialog about both the issues facing us and the potential solutions.
In his 14 years as mayor, Anthony Phillips has done nothing to address the parking issue that plagues the historic district. Instead, our police officers welcome Main Street shoppers with heavy parking fines. Two years ago I went before the board to suggest that we adopt a policy, used in other municipalities, where warning tickets are given to first time violators. Mayor Phillips dismissed my concerns without a reasonable hearing and rejected the potential solution I offered without even the most cursory of investigations. I think we need a village government which is interested in the concerns of all members of the community and open to new ideas.
The Mayor claims to be a good steward of village maintenance and services. But the trash containers on Main Street routinely overflow. And our sidewalks are riddled with cracks. The Village has spent so much money fighting lawsuits from individuals who have been wronged by the mayor's confrontational manner and subjected to his poor negotiating skills, that there is nothing left for routine village maintenance. Regardless of the reason, under Mayor Philip's leadership Main Street is often unappealingly dirty and always more dangerous than it should be for pedestrians.
On the Village Board, Phil Heffernan has already exhibited his interest in exploring ways to encourage low-impact economic growth. As Mayor, he will be in a much better position to address these issues to make our village safer and more vibrant. And he has committed to developing a longterm infrastructure improvement plan so we can anticipate maintenance needs and manage the costs in a financially prudent way.
I encourage anyone interested in a more vibrant Main Street to vote for Phil Heffernan for Mayor.
Sincerely,
Teri Barr
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