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Thread: Town Council Candidate Matt Walter

  1. #1
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    Town Council Candidate Matt Walter

    Wednesday night, I had the great pleasure and honor to be awarded the Democratic nomination for Lancaster Town Council. As the current council have taken quite their fair share of arrows from this forum, I figured I would take some time to open up a conversation about my run and what I can bring to the table to the toughest critics.

    First a little about me. I am a Lancaster kid, born and raised on Cotton St in the Village. I have owned homes in both the town and the village where my wife, 2 young children and I currently reside. I attended Our Lady of Pompeii Elementary School, St Mary's High School and Buffalo State College. Since graduating, I have worked in a number of industries with the common denominators being my tireless work ethic, finding creative solutions and always expressing a willingness to learn. 15 Years ago, I started a company called Madd Matt's Entertainment whose goal was to take a "Dave and Buster's" type experience and make it completely portable. I grew that company over 10 years, travelling all over the country before selling it in July of 2010. I enjoyed a wonderful summer with my two boys and planned on taking my time finding my next opportunity. However, as the summer finished up and the boys went back to school, I found I was just not wired to relax and kick back. I went to work with Oogie Games a few weeks later, first as a consultant and then as COO. I am proud to help lead this team of 45+ employees and 6 stores to the incredible growth we've experienced in less than 5 years. Last year, I took on an additional role as Managing Director of the Lancaster Opera House which has been near and dear to me since my childhood. After one season, I am transitioning to the LOH Board where I can volunteer my time and help save some money from the budget yet continue to be involved in keeping our local treasure viable for years to come. In addition to the LOH board, I have served on a number of other non-profit, corporate and educational volunteer boards both locally and regionally.

    I am hoping to utilize my experience to help guide our town council. I fully understand the hard work that is required and intend to give it everything I've got. I don't claim to know the inner workings of every challenge Lancaster is facing but I can promise to do the research to find the best solutions possible to the challenges we face. Rather than lay out my opinions on anything and everything under the sun right now, I'll turn to the forum posters to continue the conversation...go ahead and ask away!

    I am sure the political insiders will think I'm nuts for posting here but I believe it's important to know exactly who you are voting for and how they will work for their constituents. We may not always agree but you will know where I stand!

    Thank you!

    Matthew J Walter

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    Best of luck Mr. Walter,

    Thick skinned indefatigability will be a must...

    I wish you well.

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    Quote Originally Posted by skoorbekim View Post
    Best of luck Mr. Walter,

    Thick skinned indefatigability will be a must...

    I wish you well.
    Thanks for the well wishes.... I will have to work on the thick skin and I have a good supply of Mt Dew for the energy :-)

  4. #4
    Tony Fracasso - Admin
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    All that sugar isn't good for you.

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    Hi Matt,

    Congratulations on your endorsement!

    I actually have a few questions for you.

    1.) What is your stance regarding our town employees (including police) paying towards their health care?
    2.) Will you support raising taxes?
    3.) Our union contracts are not settled. What are your views on that?
    4.) Will you vote to over ride tax cap?

    Thanks!

  6. #6
    Member gorja's Avatar
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    Good luck, Mr Walter. Hope you win.

    Georgia L Schlager

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    Quote Originally Posted by WNYresident View Post
    All that sugar isn't good for you.
    You catch more flies with poop than you do with sugar.

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    Sir,

    Please give name and sort of work you did for a "number of industries" - ?

    Whats going to be your stand on further development of Lancaster ?

    Ellicott Creek has been a source of flooding for years. How will you work to have the creek cleared -

    If FEMA offered a program where the Town and FEMA would do creek remediation work - where the Town would have to contribute toward the cost - would you help to initiate the program ?

    Do you feel the Lancaster Air Strip - on Walden and Pavement should receive further zoning changes and would you vote for or against the airstrips expansion ? How would you vote on these points - for or against ?

    Do you agree or disagree - all tax funded Town Employees should punch in at the beginning of each work day and out at the end of each work day ? - Yes/No - Why ?

    What's your stand on employees using "tax funded equipment for personal use" - should Town Employee be able to drive home in Town owned vehicles on their lunch break ? Yes or No - Why ?

    What business's and or income producing partnerships are you involved in - either active or passive ? Would you be for or against candidates making their personal tax statements public - also if elected would you provide yearly updates on your disclosures for public viewing filed with the Town of Lancaster.

    There will be future questions - encouraged that you feel confident in posting here. I hope your not to thin skinned - I hope you can do this without becoming overly defensive. You will be challenged and I for one will do my best to not be insulting in nature - though straight forward.

    When answering - if possible start with Yes or No then explain - if applicable !

    Thanks for opening the door !
    #Dems play musical chairs + patronage and nepotism = entitlement !

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    Quote Originally Posted by ichingtheory View Post

    I actually have a few questions for you.

    1.) What is your stance regarding our town employees (including police) paying towards their health care?
    2.) Will you support raising taxes?
    3.) Our union contracts are not settled. What are your views on that?
    4.) Will you vote to over ride tax cap?

    Thanks!
    Thanks for the questions.

    1- My stance is that our town employees need to get their contracts settled. The highway dept is 3 years behind, the police dept is 5?!?! Our town council has a responsibility to their employees and their constituents to get this done. As for who gives up what and the intimate details? As far as I'm concerned everything is on the table. I believe our employees understand that budgets are tight and are willing to negotiate but their has to be give and take, not my way or the highway.

    2- Every community in WNY is in competition with each other for where to live. That decision is determined by a number of factors: from proximity to attractions/shopping/work to quality of schools to house prices and taxes. We are already the most heavily taxed state in the union, let's not make it any harder! I am impressed that we have been able to keep taxes relatively flat and as long as we can continue to do so without heaping debt, than I will seek out ways to continue that practice.

    3- I think I may have answered that one already but I'll add to it. We have dedicated, hard working town employees and they deserve to work under a contract. I look forward to being as much a part of the solutions as I am allowed to be.

    4- The tax cap falls under the things I need to do some more research on. I'll get back to you on that one.

    Thanks again for the questions!

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by nogods View Post
    You catch more flies with poop than you do with sugar.
    https://youtu.be/eVKWdqiEn2g

  11. #11
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    [QUOTE=4248;1541838]Sir,

    Please give name and sort of work you did for a "number of industries" - ?

    Since graduating college, I worked for a consulting firm, Starbucks, my family's restaurant and catering business, an entertainment center equipment manufacturer, started my own mobile entertainment company and in retail. I'm not afraid to try something new.

    Whats going to be your stand on further development of Lancaster ?

    My stand is pretty straight forward: Smart growth. Now I know that has gotten to be kind of a catch phrase that means pretty much nothing so let me further explain what I mean. We need to take into consideration the environmental factors, traffic congestion factors, effect to the standard of living of our residents as well as the tax base issues and the financial benefits new companies and homes bring to our community before moving forward.

    Ellicott Creek has been a source of flooding for years. How will you work to have the creek cleared -

    I am aware that it has been flooding, especially in the spring but I am not sure who is responsible for the ongoing maintenance. If it is another govt agency, then I will use whatever influence I have to get it corrected. If the town is required to maintain it, then it would only make sense to do so. The core of what the council does revolves around making Lancaster a wonderful place to live and raise a family. If there are any issues that rise against that, it should be our responsibility to take care of it to the best of our ability.

    If FEMA offered a program where the Town and FEMA would do creek remediation work - where the Town would have to contribute toward the cost - would you help to initiate the program ?

    The only reason I can think of to be against this idea would be if the town shouldn't incur any cost to remediate because it is not our jurisdiction. The council needs to be good stewards of our financial resources, after all. That being said, if there were no other way to fix the problem I would research that idea.This seems to be a major quality of life issue.

    Do you feel the Lancaster Air Strip - on Walden and Pavement should receive further zoning changes and would you vote for or against the airstrips expansion ? How would you vote on these points - for or against ?

    This one lands clearly in the "I need to learn more"column. I am not as familiar with the Lancaster Airport and the various expansion/tax break/ neighborhood issues as I need to be to give a solid answer. I'll get back to you on this one after I have done more research.

    Do you agree or disagree - all tax funded Town Employees should punch in at the beginning of each work day and out at the end of each work day ? - Yes/No - Why ?

    My mother told me to always be wary of absolutes :-) I don't know the inner workings of every dept and I am guessing not many people do. However, I can imagine many instances where clock in procedures might need to be overlooked. Is there a specific issue here that you are referring to?

    What's your stand on employees using "tax funded equipment for personal use" - should Town Employee be able to drive home in Town owned vehicles on their lunch break ? Yes or No - Why ?

    I think we disagree on the definition of tax funded equipment for personal use.... You didn't provide a specific example, but I can imagine many times when it makes more sense for a town employee to stop at home on lunch with a town vehicle rather than the alternatives. Now had you asked me about using construction equipment for private jobs, that's a whole other issue. That use of equipment should not happen.

    What business's and or income producing partnerships are you involved in - either active or passive ? Would you be for or against candidates making their personal tax statements public - also if elected would you provide yearly updates on your disclosures for public viewing filed with the Town of Lancaster.

    I serve on a number of non-profit boards but no other for-profit partnerships.And for the record, if I am involved with a board or organization, it is never passive. I'm too busy to be involved in things for a line on my resume. I want to foster change and move issues forward.

    As for tax statements being made public? Seems a little intense for a part-time local council member,to me. And keeping my constituents updated on any disclosures seems like a good practice. After all, I am running to be a public servant and the citizens of Lancaster should know if I have any conflicts of interest, shouldn't they?

    Hope that did the trick. I had to make the updates today on my phone so I apologize if the spacing/ grammar/ spelling is a little off!

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    Smile

    Thank you for answering....

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    [QUOTE=MaddMatt;1541983][QUOTE=4248;1541838]Sir,

    If you don't mind - what Consulting firm ?

    Whats going to be your stand on further development of Lancaster ?

    My stand is pretty straight forward: Smart growth. Now I know that has gotten to be kind of a catch phrase that means pretty much nothing so let me further explain what I mean. We need to take into consideration the environmental factors, traffic congestion factors, effect to the standard of living of our residents as well as the tax base issues and the financial benefits new companies and homes bring to our community before moving forward.

    Agreed - "Smart Growth" has been a cliché over used by Councilmember Stempniak for far too long ! It usually seems to mean the same as - "We will give due concern to each and every project - APPROVED"
    How will you be different - do you believe we have plenty or room for more subdivisions - or could future development be done on a limited yearly controlled basis ? Would you look at Lancaster's growth - as a Town wide concern or segment each project to a given area ?
    Given the current rate of development - what's your long term concerns and what new restrictions would you like to see implemented and enforced to slow the over building and save some "Usable green space"?


    Ellicott Creek Flooding: I am aware that it has been flooding, especially in the spring but I am not sure who is responsible for the ongoing maintenance. If it is another govt agency, then I will use whatever influence I have to get it corrected.

    If you found the County had some responsibility - would you present a resolution to request the County under go a remediation program ? Yes or No - Why ?

    If the town is required to maintain it, then it would only make sense to do so. The core of what the council does revolves around making Lancaster a wonderful place to live and raise a family.

    If FEMA offered a program where the Feds would devote time and money to fix the creek - would you sponsor a resolution for Lancaster to commit funds to help finance the project - Yes or No - Why ?


    Do you feel the Lancaster Air Strip - on Walden and Pavement should receive further zoning changes and would you vote for or against the airstrips expansion ? How would you vote on these points - for or against ? Looking forward to your response on this issue.


    Do you agree or disagree - all tax funded Town Employees should punch in at the beginning of each work day and out at the end of each work day ? - Yes/No - Why ?

    My mother told me to always be wary of absolutes :-) I don't know the inner workings of every dept and I am guessing not many people do. However, I can imagine many instances where clock in procedures might need to be overlooked. Is there a specific issue here that you are referring to?

    What tax funded hourly employees do you feel should be able to use a Town vehicle to go home for lunch - Why ?

    I serve on a number of non-profit boards but no other for-profit partnerships.And for the record, if I am involved with a board or organization, it is never passive. I'm too busy to be involved in things for a line on my resume. I want to foster change and move issues forward.

    Would you list the non-profits boards you sit on at present and do you receive compensation/benefits for your participation?

    And keeping my constituents updated on any disclosures seems like a good practice. After all, I am running to be a public servant and the citizens of Lancaster should know if I have any conflicts of interest, shouldn't they?


    So we can assume if elected - you will complete and file with the Town Clerk - prior to your first Town Board Meeting - a complete financial disclosure form and it will be available for public viewing upon request ?

    Thank You !
    #Dems play musical chairs + patronage and nepotism = entitlement !

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    Congratulations Matt on your Democratic endorsement. Our country had a great system where every person has the freedom to run for office. Thank you so far for answering the questions posed.

    Regarding time clocks for all employees who work for the taxpayers - whether a clock or fingerprinting is used to chart hours of work, I believe needs to be implemented. I know the Supervisor is working on that. There is much abuse that exists within the departments where it is important to establish accountability.

    Regarding the Lancaster Airport and the issues that plague the Town of Lancaster with regards to quality of life issues, violation of zoning laws, misuse of tax breaks for a private airstrip that exemplifies the concept of "Corporate Welfare," and reckless flying that has resulted in fatalities and emergency crash landings I think this should be your first priority to research. I will hold you to your promise to get the facts on this very important issue that is a town wide issue.

    Thank you, I do have many more questions for you but I think you should enjoy the holiday.

  15. #15
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    Smile I condensed my questions/comment to make it easier to answer !

    sir,

    If you don't mind - what consulting firms were you employed by ?

    Whats going to be your stand on further development of lancaster ?

    Madmatt stated : "my stand is pretty straight forward: Smart growth".

    "smart growth" has been a cliché over used by councilmember stempniak for far too long ! It usually seems to mean the same as - "we will give due concern to each and every project - approved"

    How will you be different - do you believe we have plenty or room for more subdivisions - or could future development be done on a limited yearly controlled basis ? Would you look at lancaster's growth - as a town wide concern or segment each project to a given area ?

    Given the current rate of development - what's your long term concerns and what new restrictions would you like to see implemented and enforced to slow the over building and save some "usable green space"?

    If you found the county had some responsibility concerning the maintenance of Ellicott Creek - would you present a resolution to request the county under go a remediation program ? Yes or no - why ?

    If fema offered a program where the feds would devote time and money to fix the creek - would you sponsor a resolution for Lancaster to commit funds to help finance the project - yes or no - why ?

    Do you agree or disagree - all tax funded town employees like those in Town Hall, Parks and Recreation as well as Highway Department should punch in at the beginning of each work day and out at the end of each work day ? - yes/no - why ?

    So from what you've stated we can assume if elected - you will complete and file with the town clerk - prior to your first town board meeting - a complete financial disclosure form and it will be available for public viewing upon request ?

    Thank you ! [/quote]
    #Dems play musical chairs + patronage and nepotism = entitlement !

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