Aurora
Facing 2 challengers in Aurora, supervisor stands on his record
In the three-way race for Aurora town supervisor, Republican incumbent Dwight D. Krieger touts his experience against challenges from newcomer Jolene M. Jeffe and former Supervisor Thomas E. Cotton.
“I stand on my record,” said Krieger, 67, citing his eight years on the Town Board, the last two of them as supervisor.
Accused of making town government inaccessible, Krieger insists he runs an open government and says he doesn’t need to be stationed at Town Hall full time to serve the public.
Krieger defends the town’s controversial purchase last year of 300 Gleed Ave. for use as a new Town Hall, adding that it could eventually be sold for a profit.
He cites Jeffe’s lack of experience and criticizes her for what he termed a lack of understanding of the town’s financial issues. As for Cotton, he called him a micromanager, adding: “He’s been there. We know his track record and I don’t think we need to go back there.”
Jeffe, 41, who has Independence and Conservative party endorsements, is a stay-at-home mother and former human resources manager for Welch’s and Niagara Chocolates. She has run a campaign lobbying for a fresh voice at Town Hall.
“Aurora is kind of at a crossroads,” she says. “Do we want to continue on the path of large tax increases or change that?”
Jeffe adds, “I believe the purchase of Gleed was made prematurely with the assumption that the village and library will move there, which they won’t.”
Cotton, 68, a registered Republican, served as supervisor for two terms — from 2000 to 2004—and as a councilman for four years.
A retired painting and home decorating contractor, Cotton is backed by the Democratic and Working Families parties. He wants the supervisor to have a closer working relationship with village officials and supports better communication with the public.
“You need to communicate with the people. Dwight cuts people right off at Town Board meetings, and that’s wrong,” he said of the incumbent.
Cotton also criticized the Gleed building purchase.
“The building is a lot more square footage than we need for the governments we have,” he said. “I do think it was a mistake to bond it for the five-year period. It has put quite a strain on the budget.”
Voters also will elect two Town Board members to fouryear terms. The candidates are:
•Incumbent James F. Collins, 57, owner of an insurance agency, elected last year to fill Krieger’s board seat. Active in the shared municipal services study on whether town and village governments should be housed together and the library expanded, he has Republican, Independence and Conservative endorsements.
• Political newcomer Susan A. Friess, 48, who was a systems analyst and supervisor for Electronic Data Systems before staying home to raise her children. She also has the Republican line.
• Gregory Szematowicz, 55, running on the Democratic and Working Family lines. A senior modelmaker at Fisher-Price in his third run for councilman, he is opposed to developing the Cazenovia Creek Sanctuary.
Szematowicz also favors dissolving the village and forming a six-member district form of government with two village, two town, one at-large seat and one West Falls seat.
• Timothy J. Heinrich, 55, retired town parks and recreation employee, carrying the Independence, Conservative and Working Families lines. He is opposed to arbitrary property revaluation.
He wants to see reserve accounts for the parks/recreation and highway departments built up again so that taxpayers do not get hit as hard for big-ticket items. He favors the library and government offices being located on Main Street.
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