Lancaster Bee - Ruffino beats Gaczewski in race for supervisor
Election results, nothing on the budget or anything of consequence.
Buffalo News – Supervisor race still too close to call
Ruffino, elected to the board in 2001, voted against two successive budgets in 2018 and 2019.
“Over the last two years I have felt that spending has been out of control,” said Ruffino. He noted that spending in the 2018 budget had increased 3.3% to $1.07 million and spending in the 2019 budget had increased 4.9% to $1.63 million.”
If elected Supervisor, Ruffino hopes to continue cost-cutting measures, revise the town’s waste removal contract and improve the morale of town employees.
Lancaster Sun - The votes are in, but the race is too close to call
Ruffino pledges:
Unify the board
Comprehensive study of the infrastructure done – drainage, roads, bridges and water
Enforcing responsible fiscal management – voted no on last two budgets
Promote transparency and good government
85% of our job is the town budget
Proposed $293,000 in budget cuts at the November 4th board meeting
Proposed budget cuts because there is an issue with New York State
According to Supervisor Johanna Cole there are no New York State issues but an attempt to detract when no answer is available.
Political theater – 5 weeks to get budget cut proposals in before the board or Department heads and no attempt on Ruffino’s part to do so.
Comment
I agree with Ruffino that spending in the past four budget years has increased significantly; as has employee hiring, debt and wages. Ruffino had an excellent opportunity to address spending measures but failed to follow protocol / due process and that adversely impacted taxpayers who were looking for some of Ruffino’s proposed cuts to be publicly addressed. His plea that his 11th hour proposals were not politically motivated falls on deaf ears. His right to claim ‘foul’ that his submittal was not considered is unfounded.
Mr. Ruffino is correct in saying spending must be cut / controlled, however, when he did vote ‘yes’ eight times in the Giza administration the average annual tax levy was $910,000. In the last four budgets, the annual average tax levy increased $735,000.
Mr. Ruffino seems confident of victory and is detailing his agenda / vision when he takes office. His agenda is suspect to those who have watched his voting record on past budgets, town development / growth, concern for the environment, traffic and traffic safety issues, etc.
And, what’s with this ‘revise the town’s waste removal contract and improve the morale of town employees’. Ruffino was not part of the waste contract negotiating team, offered no suggestions or comments during the process, and voted ‘yes’ along with all the other board members to the contract resolution.
Town morale is bad, Ron? Care to explain that. Administrative? Rank and file? Town Board?
Should Mr. Ruffino be declared the official winner, hopefully he understands he was voted into office without a mandate. That says much for a career politician that has been in office 18 years.