Yorktown Issues That Need to be Addressed

By Susan M. (Stetson) Siegel

Much needs to be done to modernize Yorktown's antiquated management systems in order to bring spending under control and make our town government more efficient, affordable, open and accountable. These are the areas that are my top priorities.

Taxes

We need to stop wasting taxpayer dollars by implementing cost saving management reforms, from requiring competitive quotes for all contracts to avoiding unnecessary lawsuits resulting from ineffective management and politically motivated decisions.

Neighborhood traffic safety

We need a completely new, more responsive, more efficient way to control traffic on our neighborhood streets. We need to establish a workable Traffic Advisory Board that has the expertise to review resident concerns and recommend appropriate solutions to the town board or highway superintendent for implementation.

Greater accountability

We need to establish a computerized system that keeps track of ALL incoming resident calls and complaints and responds to them in a timely fashion.

Improve functioning of the town board

We need a town board that knows what it's doing + before + it acts. We need a supervisor who communicates with board members.

Open and transparent government

We need to provide more convenient access to documents in response to Freedom of Information requests. We need to make more effective use of the town's web site to transmit information to residents in a timely fashion.

Environment

We need to develop a comprehensive and integrated environmental policy that includes all aspects of the envirnoment, from carbon emissions and open space to protecting trees and wetlands and the use of pesticides.

Seniors

We need to address the needs of our seniors for an affordable center that meets their needs.

Planning for our future

We need a realistic 5-year Capital Improvement Plan that identifies our long term infrastructure needs. We need to avoid spending critical capital dollars on short term "impulse" projects.

Police

We need to retain local control over our police department. Business We need to work with and strengthen our local businesses. We need to be more "business friendly."