Candidates' Top Priorities
Peg Havens
1) Maintain Perinton’s low town tax rate (3rd lowest in Monroe County) and stay under the property tax cap every year, while offering a great quality of life for Perinton residents by continuing to:
a) deliver first-rate municipal services (weekly debris pickup, snow removal, etc.) to our residents
b) provide award-winning amenities, including our Aquatic/Community Center, our Community Garden, our excellent dock facilities in Bushnell’s Basin, and top-notch town parks.
2) Effectively address development in Perinton through strategic planning. We must meet the needs of our residents: the young, seniors, families, empty nesters, etc., while retaining the green space in our town which has been maintained through the town’s proactive preservation of over 2,000 acres of open land. In addition, development efforts such as the Fairport Road corridor revitalization project assures that Perinton maintains the welcoming nature of the community.
3) Involve Perinton residents through public forums, our volunteer boards (Conservation Board, Planning Board, Recreation and Parks Board, etc.), and planning committees, such as were used for the Pedestrian Bike Plan, Spring Lake Park Plan, and the Town 10-Year Comprehensive Plan. This involvement will assure resident input and participation in key initiatives that affect the Town of Perinton ensuring we are a walkable, livable community who engages its residents and offers them a wonderful quality of life.
Sincerely,
Peg S. Havens
Jennifer West
My primary focus is to continue to be the best possible public servant, with a welcoming, well cross-trained, approachable office offering outstanding customer service to our residents.
As a Registered Municipal Clerk (awarded for experience and education in the Town Clerk role) and former Kodak business manager, I will continue to use my business skills to make sound, fiscally responsible decisions; decisions that continue to streamline office operations and offer conveniences to residents (such as tax drop box for before and after hour tax payments and Passport evening and Saturday hours)
From my experience and relationships built as President of the Monroe County Town Clerk and Tax Receiver and Collectors Association, I continue to investigate and benchmark best practices in other Towns to offer additional services and continuous improvement to our residents.
Point of View on the proposition about the Town Clerk Term
To clarify, I am currently both Town Clerk and Tax Receiver in Perinton. The Town Clerk is an elected position in the Town, the Tax Receiver is a two-year appointment made by the Town Board (and involves the collections of millions of dollars in School and Town and County taxes).
The logic behind the Town Clerk term change from two years to four years is that the position has a steep learning curve and requires significant, complex training. The four-year term also gives the Clerk time to accomplish longer term goals and build on them. This four-year term is also consistent with the majority of the Towns in Monroe County.
Sincerely,
Jennifer West
