Everyone has a New Year’s resolution, even Schenectady area officials.
According to the government Web site, USA.gov, popular New Year’s resolutions from last year included weight loss, managing debt, saving money, getting a better job, getting a better education, drinking less alcohol, quitting smoking, reducing stress, and volunteering to help others.
The New Year isn’t only a chance for personal improvement, it’s also a time for our community’s leaders to look at what they would like to accomplish in the coming year.
Schenectady County legislators, town supervisors and board members recently shared their hopes and goals for Schenectady County and its municipalities in the coming year. While some resolutions are specific to the community, others are personal resolutions that will carry into an official’s civil service.
Democratic Niskayuna Councilwoman Julie McDonnell said she wants to see more community participation in town government in the coming year.
I would like to see as many residents as possible participate in their town government, said McDonnell. `I think we’ve gotten off to a good start with that this year, and we’ve brought a lot of residents in on different issues. As we move forward into 2009, I would like to bring as many residents in as we can to participate in the process,` said McDonnell.
Schenectady County Legislator Joe Suhrada, R-Rotterdam, said he would like to continue working on lowering taxes for the county by becoming more persuasive.
`I’d like to become more persuasive so that [my colleagues] may see that they should also join me in cutting spending, in cutting taxes — so that I can persuade them better and do a better job,` said Suhrada.
Angelo Santabarbara, R-Rotterdam, also a county legislator, said that he hopes to find a balance between work and family ` ideally he would like an equal balance of both so that he can serve his community and family better.
Steve Tommasone, town supervisor for Rotterdam, said he wants his town to live up to its motto.
`[I] hope for a new year filled with more opportunities: to foster Rotterdam’s motto of ‘A Nice Place To Live, Work, and Do Business,’` said Tommasone in an e-mail.
Check Spotlightnews.com for more New Year’s resolutions from county leaders and to add your own resolutions to the list.“
