Editor, The Spotlight,
I have lived in Delmar more than 34 years. I am writing to express my support for the current Town of Bethlehem administration, under the direction of Supervisor John Clarkson.
When John and his team came into office they faced a complex set of issues but immediately went about dealing with them in a way that encouraged engagement of town residents. I like that.
I was not surprised that the Supervisor would approach problem solving in this way because I have seen him work through significant challenges while he was working for the Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) in the division of Local Governments. In fact John and I were colleagues at OSC. He has long advocated for increased citizen involvement in various levels of government as well as increased information sharing in order to help residents better understand the issues and options that are before their communities.
John Clarkson has an innate ability to understand and diagnose complex problems at both a strategic and operational level. But beyond that, he looks at the impact of policy decisions on the people. To me that balance is critical. I don’t want a government that studies issues in isolation of the people. I have seen greater evidence of this “taking people into account” (both staff and citizens) under the Clarkson administration, than in previous administrations.
For example, this administration formed several advisory committees early in its term. I believe that seeking input from town residents through the advisory committees, hosting community town halls and making the town meetings available on-line helps spark interest and citizen engagement.
In this town we are accustomed to a high level of service. These services are not without cost. While all localities face the challenge of providing service while keeping costs reasonable. I believe our current administration has done a good job of assuring a high level of service while being mindful of spending. The $776,000 grant that our Town received was earned for efficiency. Using it to address diverse needs in our community, including the rural areas, helps us achieve the balance between service and spending.
John Clarkson continues to show the kind of leadership and professionalism that our town needs. Collaboration, personal integrity, citizen engagement, mindful spending, critical analysis of complex problems and experience at varying levels of government makes him ideally suited to continue to lead our town.
Sandra Powell
Delmar
