by Jay Lawson
Parker Snead has announced that he will be seeking reelection, having served his first term in office as Town of Forestport Supervisor.
Snead said that prior to his first campaign, he and other community members tried to rehabilitate two historic bridges that had fallen into disrepair before being condemned by the state.
“The Twin Bridges were an important piece of local infrastructure. Beyond serving the transportation needs of the community, those bridges represented fond memories for many in the community. Over the years they had become integral to Forestport’s identity,” Snead said.
But Snead said the supervisor at the time seemed disinterested in restoring the bridges and putting them back in service.
“There was no plan, nothing concrete. Somehow the bridges were to reappear by magic, I guess; but there was no plan for making that happen. The bridges had decayed due to neglect and no serious effort was being made—or would ever be made—to restore them,” he said.
Snead said that, as a business person, he had learned not to rely on government. You get things done by doing, he said.
“As a private citizen, I was of the belief that our representatives were in office to serve our interests. But, nothing was going to happen with those bridges unless the community got involved, took the bull by the horns. That was clear,” he said.
Snead helped start a citizens action group to restore Forestport’s twin bridges.
“We felt pretty good about it. It was an important and meaningful cause for our community, and the community had come together to make it happen. We raised private monies and set about restoring these historic bridges that had been neglected for years and left for dead,” he said.
But rather than being supportive, some in local government resisted the project.
“That surprised me. It was bad enough that an elected representative would be unresponsive, but to battle his own citizens who are trying to get something done on their own behalf. I found that offensive,” Snead said.
The whole episode was contrary to government of the people, by the people, and for the people, as described in our Constitution, he said.
“That’s when I decided to take a shot and run for office. Many of us realized that, if our local leaders were representing somebody, it certainly wasn’t the regular folks in the community,” he said.
As his first term nears its close, Snead said he’s happy with the progress Forestport has seen.
“You’re never going to get everything you want; some things take more time than others. But I think we’ve made some important moves in the right direction. A major goal was to bring much needed fiscal restraint to government on behalf of the taxpayers. These measures included a lot of work being done, that amounted to significant savings on our insurance plan,” he said.
“We also raised the town wage limit, so $2,000 a year part-timers were no longer allowed full health benefits. There was a day when towns could afford those costs, but those days are long past—for all municipalities, not just Forestport. Forestport had to make a move for the sake of the taxpayers and fiscal responsibility. It wasn’t the most popular policy change in some quarters, but it had to happen; and clearly no other administration was willing to tackle it,” Snead said.
Beautification had been a large part of the Twin Bridges project, and Snead said townwide beautification remained a goal when he took office as supervisor. This included improvements to Town Hall and Forestport’s recreational areas.
“Public spaces are important. They provide a place for families to get together and visitors to enjoy and be impressed by our town. We have a great home here, and our twin bridges and public gathering places provide the backdrops to our memories,” he said.
As such, Parker said he and his wife donated several barbecue grills and shade umbrellas for public use.
“The town budgeted money for improvements, but Joan and I are happy to pay for these items personally if that’s what it takes. We just want to make these into places that people will enjoy,” he said.
Snead also donated decorative lights to the Town for use in the Christmas and winter seasons.
“People seem happy with them. We have heard many compliments. People like their festive appearance, and how they perk up Forestport for the holidays,” he said.
Overall, it’s been a rewarding first term, Snead said.
“I don’t mind doing the work, and we’ve been quite successful moving the Town in the direction I believe it should go,” he said.
But there has been a downside to Snead, personally, and the community as a whole, he said.
“I do hate the politics and the ugliness that we’ve all witnessed. And I don’t believe it’s a ‘Forestport thing,’ as some have suggested. There are simply people out there—a small minority, thankfully—who get an odd satisfaction from tearing things down; and they are willing to twist the facts to do so.”
Snead said he plans to continue his fiscal focus in a second term.
“The Town finances are a work in progress. I did cut the 2015 budget about $127,500 from 2014. All of us in the Town Board took a 20 percent cut in pay to show that there were no sacred cows when it comes to necessary fiscal adjustments. And the change of health insurance carrier saved about $37,000.”
“Other savings resulted from the fact that I perform in the Supervisor’s position for about $19,350 less than the previous Supervisor including my health care cost. We also were able to run the town for about $47,000 less in 2014 than in 2013,” he said.
“I do love Forestport, and hope we can continue working together for more progress in the next two years.”